Thrity-six years and counting

We don’t get all our dreams realized in this life, but occasionally one comes true. Saturday night was a dream-come-true for me. Remember when I posted about my desire to have a reunion with my bridesmaids? Well, they were all able to come over Saturday night and from 6:00 til 1:30am we reminisced, perused photo albums, laughed and listened to thirty years of catching up. It was amazing what we remembered and hysterical what we had forgotten. “I wasn’t there…Yes you were; see that’s you in the picture! Is that me?” Whenever someone said, “Look at this”, we all reached for our glasses then huddled round. Debbie’s scrapbook was a treasure. She had saved tickets, and stubs and even notes we had written in class. Of particular interest was the inscription written by Cindy on the back of her senior pictures to us….Diana was the first to announce that she was declared the most loveable, I was the funniest, Debbie immediately scoured her book to find out her title. It occurred to me we were so much the same……the same mannerisms, same laughter, the same comfortable feeling.

Only two of our Mothers are still living and three of our Dads. We concluded that in many ways we had become our Mothers and that our children had put us through no less that we gave our parents. We talked about life and about loss. All of us are married in the temple. All but one are grandparents which we agree is the best job in town. I noticed and admired that each of my friends was accepting, even gracious of life’s trials. Whether it was divorce, illness or wayward children, there was no bitterness or judgment in their expressions. Just faith and love unfeigned.

My over all favorite part of our reunion is best expressed by the description of Alma the Younger when he met up with his childhood friends following their fourteen year separation, “and what added more to his joy, they were still his brethren in the Lord; yea they had waxed strong in the knowledge of truth” (Alma 17:3). Thirty-six years ago our Father in Heaven gave us to each other, I believe, as a blessing and stewardship. I have no illusions that I was nothing more than a high spirited, awkward, somewhat goofy girl surely headed for Babylon when the missionaries knocked on my door. I learned that all of us, whether raised in the faith or introduced to it later; had our own door to open as we discovered our testimony during those early years together. For me, the blessing I found within their circle was and still is acceptance, patience and faith. I will ever be grateful for that. Over the years I have witnessed their courage, joy and example. I love and admire each of these women and hope I am fulfilling my stewardship as friend, confidant and champion of their lives.