Have you been invited to one yet? Are you going? School reunions are up 25% over last year. One organizing agency reports they set up only 7 reunions last year- this year they are booked for 65.

25,000 grads and guests recently gathered for their Princeton Reunion over a long weekend in May. Two of the grads were over 100 years old! Wow, that’s commitment.

So, how is this going to work?

Most of us experience a lot of anxiety when these get togethers were routine. Now that they have been on hold for the last couple of years, things can feel even a little more nerve-wracking.

We were required to isolate. Now we are all getting called back together. For many of us, it has been a significant, quiet and intensely personal journey. A lot that has happened to ourselves and those we know. Things that happened and our experiences are far beyond the norm of small talk.

What are the new norms? Now also mask free. Do we hug? Do we still stand apart? How much do we share? What can we expect? Are we ready for this?

Extreme time apart can be good or bad. For many, it has no effect at all. Ever notice how when a group gets back together, the same social hierarchy snaps right back into place? The same holds true for school, friend or family reunions.

How to deal? Pulling from comments across the internet universe, I gathered a few great comments and tips.

One comment really stood out for me: “Facing others from the past can mean facing ourselves.”

1. Know you are not alone. Everyone else is probably feeling the same anxiety.
2. Solidify your comfort zone. Connect with familiar friends and alliances before the event. Do it over email, social media and in person whenever possible.
3. Don’t over share. Let out a few tidbits and be willing to listen to others’.
4. Remove expectations. Keep an open mind about everyone else.
5. If you really can’t handle the event much longer-try to leave and go socialize in your small group of allies that you connected with before the event!

So—-you gonna’ go? LMK.