I recently received an invitation to attend a landmark class reunion from high school. I seriously contemplated going, and probably would have, had my daughters not been returning to college the same weekend.

I admit that I faced it with ambivalence. I was never one of the popular kids, and was occasionally the target of bullying, until I discovered that bullies back down once you stand up to them. Somewhere along the way, I managed to find friends, mostly in the arts groups I joined, who accepted and liked me for my quirky, unique self.

Now, as a mature woman, I’ve been fortunate to discover friends among whom I feel not just accepted, but truly cherished. I hope I make them feel the same.

One of those groups is a small cohort of women documentary filmmakers. Our much-anticipated monthly luncheons are always interesting, often educational and inevitably restorative. Our discussions range from poignant or serious, to hysterical and wildly entertaining,as we plan our monthly Rochester Documentary Filmmaker screenings.

And although I don’t know it for a fact, I daresay each of these women may also have had a challenge finding her niche throughout grade and high school.

After receiving the photo I share above, taken by one of the owners of Premier Pastry on South Avenue, where we stopped to pick up cupcakes after our luncheon, LM texted, “I am so grateful to be on the planet at the same time as each of ye.”

LC chimed in with “It is great to be one of the cool kids for once!”

In truth, she always was.

We all were.

Sometimes, it just takes a while to surround yourself with the right people who recognize it.

P.S. The assorted pink and white boxes above are filled with Premier Pastries’s luscious cupcakes, and in the background, you see just a hint of some of their spectacular wedding cakes!

Originally published in the August 1, 2019 issue of Beyond the Nest’s Free Weekly Newsletter of Arts, Culture, Recreation and things to do around Greater Rochester.