I am amazed when I hear about people who have been best friends since grade school. I don’t have old friends like that, but it got me thinking about who my first friends might have been, and I dug out my kindergarten class photo from way back in 1955 at Julian Curtiss School.

The first day of kindergarten started out chaotically. Some kids were crying and clinging to their mothers as they tried to leave. When my mother said she was leaving, I barely noticed as I gazed around the large, sunny room and wondered what these kids were crying about. Two large wooden tables set up with pads of paper and crayons awaited us. Pint-sized sturdy wooden chairs were tucked in neatly along the sides.

A big alphabet border hung above the blackboard. Colorful fall decorations and illustrations of puppies, kittens, and other baby animals were tacked on the walls. I saw a “cubbie” with my name on it, painted wooden blocks and other toys, books, a fish tank, and even a couple of guinea pigs in a large cage. A semi-circle bench seat filled the huge bay window. This is where we would sit for story time.

Back in the ’50s, we proceeded from our homes directly to kindergarten. It was our first experience of meeting other children outside of cousins and kids of family friends. It was time to take a big step on our own; and with the support of our teacher Mrs. Swartz, a kind and patient woman, we learned to communicate, get along, share, work together in little class groups, and become friends.

The names of my classmates appear in the spaces to the left of the photo. I cover the list of names now with my hand and study the photograph, testing my memory. A few names come quickly to match some faces. Other faces stir nebulous memories, but I cannot connect any names. Sadly, with some faces, I haven’t a clue who they are.

What I do see is that all of the 22 faces in the picture are smiling, open, and innocent. All reflect wonder and curiosity as we embarked together on this journey of learning. If I were on Facebook, I could search out the names to see where life may have taken my classmates. Foolishly, I imagine all are living happy, healthy, and fulfilling lives. But life doesn’t unfold that way – perfectly, that is. It’s full of ups and downs, joys and sorrows, successes and failures.

But right now, I look at those faces who were my first friends and choose to remember the happiness and sweetness captured forever in a kindergarten class photo.

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