Our lives are dotted with milestones, and I was reminded of an upcoming one for me last week. I received my Medicare card in the mail.

When I shared that with my younger brother, he laughed and asked, “Did you think that day would come back when you were wearing your elephant pants?”

Of course, I always knew it would come…just not this soon! And for those of you who don’t know what elephant pants are, they were extremely wide-flared bell-bottoms - so big the bottom of the pants would cover our shoes. I loved mine!

For as long as I can remember, I have been a very nostalgic person. I think a lot of that came from my grandpa, who used to sit me in the recliner next to him and get out his old photo albums. Some of my most precious childhood memories revolve around sitting by my grandpa as he would point out old photos - one of them was even a tintype - and share with me who the relatives were I was looking at. I now have that photo album, and it is one of my most treasured possessions.

Visiting with older people and hearing their stories was something I loved, even as a kid. There was an older lady who lived just a couple of blocks down the road from me who always wore her hair up in a bun.

My little brothers and the rest of the neighborhood kids were all scared of her for some silly reason, but I would visit her on a regular basis.

One day, as we were sitting out on her front step chatting, she took her bun out and let her hair down.

It was so long! And snow white. I asked if I could brush it for her, and that became our thing. About once a week, we would sit out on her porch, and she would let me brush her long, beautiful hair. The other kids thought she was a witch (you know how kids are), but to me she was my friend.

I enjoy revisiting memories. That is probably why I like reunions - family reunions, class reunions - even funerals can be somewhat of a reunion. Certainly not everyone, I have learned, shares my nostalgic sentiment.

My youngest son recently had his 20-year high school reunion in Broken Bow, and out of a class of about 60 kids, only nine attended the reunion. That is not an exception, apparently, as I also received a reunion photo from Gothenburg, where the sender said she was hesitant to send it because only eight classmates showed up. However, a reunion photo for the GHS Class of 1965 includes 35 - yes, 35 in attendance! It’s funny how our perspectives and priorities change over the years.

So, as I muddle my way through Medicare supplement plans and contemplate my next season of life, I will continue to treasure my memories and look forward to reunions. The face staring back at me in the mirror nowadays may be a little more wrinkled, but deep down, I’m still the girl in the elephant pants.