Saturday, November 19, 2005

thank you, peaches and herb

About a month ago, I tuned into the archives of NPR's "This American Life," intrigued by the stories detailed under a particular episode entitled, "Reunited (And It Feels So Good)." The acts were enjoyable and worth a listen, but it's the Peaches & Herb song that lodged itself in my head and captured my attention that afternoon. Today, it's the comments from old friends on my last entry that have returned the infamous Herb Fame & Linda Greene to my mind's microphone.

I've heard it said that you keep in touch with the people you really care about. I hate that statement. For a couple reasons: 1) what a load of crap. and 2) it's usually expressed with an air of removal; that is, it essentially gives you permission to stop caring about people outside your "in" circle.

I find reuniting fascinating. I suppose that's appropriate since, in my job, I've helped plan and execute more than 40 reunions in the past 4 years . I've seen old friends embrace after 50 years of absence, high school acquaintances thoroughly judge each other at the 10-year, and married men and women finally admit old crushes at their 25th reunion. It's obvious why aging appeals so much to me. When I visit a class's milestone reunion on the night of their class-only party, I wonder how many minutes, or how many days following the reunion, or how many years longer it will take until one classmate can acknowledge of another that there's something valuable in that person.

Reuniting feels God-given to me. It's like He comes back to you with His hands on the shoulders of that person, and says, "Oh no, no. Mary, you didn't really SEE this person last time. You missed out. Come back and look closely again. I LOVE this person. Look. Look."

Sometimes, I think He arranges it so that I run into one particular old friend over and over and over again. I dread these moments. 'Great,' I moan. 'More small talk where I feel completely unacknowledged and unseen and unheard.' These are the first thoughts through my mind because I am embarrassingly self-obsessed.

I feel God smile when I write that. Bingo.

He asks me if I'm confident that He loves me just how I am. Moreover, He asks me if His acceptance alone is enough for me. I struggle to voice my yes to this second question, and nod my head instead. He smiles again.

And then he grows my heart and asks me to look again at that person.

It's always "look again" with Him.

And then, gratefully, I see differently.

I love God.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to continue my Model U.N. advising, a role the ambassador last night called "vital for the safety of our country."

Ugh. More on that later ... For now, I'm off to Colonial Williamsburg.

2 Comments:

At 9:06 AM, Blogger Laura said...

Another great post Mary.. so, you are going to colonial Williamsburg.. I almost went there with Lulu, but we decided to go to the botanical gardens closer to Pennsylvania instead. I'll have to save that for another time. For some reason, although I am not generally attracted to touristy places, I definitely love the old colonial America stuff.. I think that's kind of funny. I hope you have fun.

By the way, vote for me for blog of the week at http://www.mkeonline.com/people/blogcontest.asp

 
At 12:12 PM, Blogger Laura said...

I wanted to add to my earlier comment, and ask your forgiveness, because I had just found out that I was nominated for this blog of the week contest when I read this post, and it was fogging my brain into posting shameless propaganda for myself on your page in the way of a comment. =)

I sometimes feel a strange dread when I run into someone I haven't seen in a while and time after time, it's so awesome. I always wonder at my reaction, because I love people, but sometimes I feel like they will be mad because I haven't kept in touch or something like that, but if I don't have those thoughts, how likely is it that they will?

So, I would agree, reunions are wonderful, and I think as we age bit by bit we become more appreciative, diplomatic, and reasonable about the real-life possibilities, expectations, and at times limits of friendship, and how we need to be gracious with one another when we can't keep in touch as much as we might expect or hope. But it makes reuniting all the more sweet.

 

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