An 'Ahhhhh' Moment

This evening, the library staff put on a banquet for our graduating seniors. Its the first year we have done something like this, and it took quite a bit of work to put everything together. We wanted to make this a special event complete with china, silver, and crystal. We ordered fresh flowers, bought candles to match the cloth napkins for the silver candle holders, and sent fancy invitations with RSVP cards.

We planned how each course would unfold, who would serve and how, what flow of activity would work best. We created award certificates to acknowledge each student's skills and work, ordered mugs with a picture of the new building and their name on them, and made sure everyone would be there to celebrate these young people. Then we set up the conference room for our elegant event.

The evening went fairly well after we got over the awkwardness of figuring out how to be waitresses and hostesses, how to give them time to enjoy without appearing to hover or gawk. There was a certain excitement for these 11 young women (our one guy begged off) at being recognized. They arrived right at the stroke of seven and were greeted at the entrance by a welcome sign and a staff person to direct them.

Hors d'oeuvres and sparkling grape juice broke the ice, followed by the formal sit-down dinner. The awards part seemed to fly by, I kept wishing we had planned more, done more to show how grateful we were for their work. I wondered all evening if they were having a good time, if they were enjoying being served instead of having to wait on patrons.

After the ceremony, we served dessert - cheesecake and apple crisp with coffee and tea. It was at that point the staff sat together with the students, chatting, relaxing, winding down. No one seemed interested in leaving. We sat and talked or just comfortably were quiet for a long time. Little flurries of conversation swirled and died out, soft laughter, gentle story telling.

It was as if everyone had taken a deep breath and let it all the way out. We were all reticent to break the spell, to abandon a pleasant evening. We were under a spell of satisfaction, of feeling good, of being part of a wonderful evening of fellowship. It isn't often I get to share an 'Ahhhh' moment with others. Well after 10pm, we slowly began drifting away, lured by papers needing writing, children needing attending, the call of our pillows for sleep. It is an evening we will all remember for some time.