The people who kept a place for you deserve to meet the person who is returning now.

Having been held in mind while you were away is a real gift, and it can come with an outdated picture attached. The people who saved your chair, your role, your place in the group remember who left, not who came back, and returning can feel like being asked to impersonate an earlier self. Letting them see the changed version is how the welcome becomes true rather than nostalgic; it also spares you a long performance.

Tell the people who waited one honest thing about how you are different now. Let them adjust rather than assuming they cannot.