College kids are on winter break so I took a few of my old Young Life girls down to the River Market for lunch today. We enjoyed patty melts (and a fried bologna sandwich to bring home to Daniel) from Harry’s Country Club and a half dozen cupcakes from Baby Cakes next door. I thoroughly enjoyed the food and conversation with these “lifers”.
Some Young Life leaders refer to their graduated kids as alumni. I prefer to call them lifers. As leaders we spend years befriending kids. We show up for the big and little events in their lives. We get to be there for so many of the defining moments that happen during the high school years. So when kids graduate, the friendship doesn’t just stop because Young Life is targeted at 9th-12th graders. You can’t graduate from friendships like these.
Sometimes relationships with kids get even better after they graduate because even though they’ll never stop being Young Life kids, they do become more like actual friends. This is the case with Daniel and me and our Young Life leaders. We consider Peach and Mel our good friends now, but they’ll forever be referred to as our old leaders.
This summer Daniel and I were asked to be scripture readers in the wedding of two of our old Young Life kids from Jeff City Cody and Bailey. It was really cool to return to Jeff for the wedding and drive through the parking lot of the high school and football stadium where it all started. It’s now 9 years since we met Cody and Bailey as high school freshmen and we couldn’t be prouder of the adults they have become. They love Jesus, each other, and their friends and family very well.
Daniel and I talk frequently about the kids at West that we're currently leading. It’s so fun when we identify kids that we are sure will become life long friends. I look forward to a lifetime filled with former Young Life kids’ college graduations, weddings, and even kids of their own.
Laura and me & Addie and me at my wedding in 2006.
Me and Bailey at her wedding this past summer.
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