“Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin.”
― Mother Theresa
WHAT’S GOOD
Sprouts School Fall Festival
Come support Sprouts School at their upcoming Fall Festival and pumpkin patch happening on Saturday, October 31 during the Sunset Ridge Farmers Market. The festival is free for everyone, and guests can enjoy hands-on nature-based activities, as well as the opportunity to support Sprouts School through their fundraising raffle.
The Stories We Share
Elizabeth Stephens, Managing Director, Sunset Ridge Church & Collective
I attended my husband’s 20th high school reunion this weekend. I know some people dread reunions, let alone attending someone else’s, but I happen to love them. There’s something wonderful about watching people gather, reconnect, share stories, and celebrate a little nostalgia.
Reflection is a funny thing. When I think back on my own high school years, I can't help but wonder what I might have done differently. Maybe I would have included people more often, had a little more perspective, or celebrated the uniqueness of others a bit more, paid more attention to the things and people around me. We all know that the teenage years are quite a time to navigate.
And that's part of what makes reunions so fascinating to me. Who are these people now? How have they changed in 20 years, if at all? What experiences have shaped them? What hardships have they endured? What unexpected turns have changed the trajectory of their lives?
I've always approached reunions or gatherings with a sense of openness and curiosity. We can never really know what has happened in the years between who someone was and who they've become. Some people seem almost unrecognizable, while others feel as though no time has passed at all. And yet, every person in the room carries a story far more complex than the one we remember from high school.
As I watched this reunion unfold (as a grateful observer!), I began flipping through old yearbooks, looking for pictures of my husband and his friends. Somewhere along the way, I stumbled across a page with a small photograph tucked into the corner. It showed a man standing behind a podium at what appeared to be a homecoming alumni event.
I did a double take.
It was my dad.
My dad graduated from the very same high school in 1972, 30 years before this yearbook was published. Apparently, he had been selected as the alumni speaker for his 30th reunion.
I immediately sent the picture to my mom, and we both laughed. My dad was a wonderful human, beloved by many, but let's just say his mischievous spirit more than made up for what his academic record lacked. The fact that he was invited back to speak to the student body was proof that a good redemption arc is always possible.
My dad died when I was 22, just four years after that photograph was taken. Over the years, one of the things that has made me sad is knowing he never got to meet my husband. I have no doubt they would have been fast friends. They shared the same humor, warmth, and ability to make just about anyone feel like a friend.
And yet, there I was, holding a yearbook that told a story I never knew existed.
In 2002, my dad stood in a gymnasium full of high school students and delivered a speech. Somewhere in that room was a freshman boy who would one day become my husband.
Of course, my husband has absolutely no recollection of this moment. He was a 9th grade boy. I don't blame him.
But it makes my heart so happy to know that, at some point in time and space, these two people I love so dearly shared a room.
My husband heard my dad's voice long before I was ever a thought in his mind. My dad stood before a young man who would someday marry his daughter, build a family with her, and become one of the most important people in her life.
Neither of them had any idea.
And maybe that's what I find so beautiful about this little discovery.
We spend so much time looking backward, wondering what we might have done differently, how people have changed, and what became of the stories we once knew. But perhaps there are also stories unfolding all around us that we don't yet have the perspective to recognize.
People whose lives will become intertwined with ours. Moments that seem entirely ordinary but will someday mean everything. Connections we couldn't possibly anticipate.
Maybe that's part of the goodness of gathering together, of remembering, of flipping through old yearbooks and revisiting the past. Every now and then, we discover that the story was bigger than we knew.
Coming Up…
Daily, NYX Yoga & Fitness
Daily, One Another Coffee
Monday - Friday, Coworking
Wednesdays, 11 AM - 1:30 PM, Open Studio Painting
Wednesdays, Mission Compost Pick Up
Wednesdays-Sundays, Scott’s Pizza, Charis Park
Wednesdays, 6 PM - 7:30 PM, Communal Dinners and Fall Faith Formation, Sunset Ridge Church Fellowship Hall
Saturdays, 9 AM - 1 PM, Sunset Ridge Farmers Market, Charis Park
2nd & 4th Saturdays, 10 AM - 12 PM, Women’s Stitching Circle, Sunset Ridge Church Fellowship Hall
Sundays, Worship at 9 AM and 11 AM, Sunset Ridge Church
Wednesdays, through November 18, 6:30 - 7:30 PM, Joyful Noise, Students in 5th - 8th grade will discover how music deepens worship, strengthens faith, and helps build meaningful friendships. Registration required.
Friday, October 23, 7 - 9:30PM, Full Moon Friday, Charis Park
Saturday, October 24, 9 AM - 12 PM, Thrift Pop-Up, One Another Coffee
Saturday, October 24, 10 AM - 12 PM, De Boca en Boca, A monthly bilingual storytelling space for children and families.
Event Rentals - Interested in hosting your event at Charis Park or in our facilities? Please email rentals@sunset-ridge.org
Community Partners: For updated schedules and events please follow One Another Coffee, Sunset Ridge Farmers Market, NYX Wellness, Scott’s Pizza, Mission Compost, Sprouts School, Good Acres, and Community First Food Pantry.
