A Meeting with Old Friends

From Right: Jesse, Annie (Jesse's Spouse), Emily (my cousin), Hanna-lee, Args (My Spouse), JB

Several weeks ago I ran into an old friend while attending a business lunch. I was there with a colleague and we were supposed to meet up with a woman neither of us had met. I’m sure you’ve experienced the same anxiety before – watching everyone come in the door and assessing whether or not they fit the occupation, tone of voice, and reputation of the person you are supposed to meet. Anyway, a woman walked in the door that seemed to fit my preconceived notions. I walked up to her, introduced myself, and then suddenly realized we had met before. We were teenage acquaintances that had met through my cousin Emily who lived in Ogden. I was probably 15 at the time and she and my cousin were 16 or 17 when we first met—I felt so cool hanging out with older women.

It had been years since we had seen each other and both of us had obviously matured considerably. We quickly reminisced of the days when we used to play late-night pranks, engage in games of truth and dare, and give back rubs. Oddly, backrubs seemed to be somewhat romantic at that age.

After parting, I returned to my office and mentioned the encounter to my cousin Emily who suggested it was time we have a reunion with the old clan when she was in town for the holidays. We made arrangements to meet at a local restaurant last night and enjoyed some great conversation. It was particularly fun to talk about everyone’s career plans, meet spouses, and swap stories about our children. We concluded the evening at our home in Bountiful. Forgoing the temptation to play another game of truth or dare, we followed Emily’s suggestion to share our biggest “miracle” that had occurred that year and the biggest miracle that had occurred during our lives. While the answers were all over the board, most all of touched on the great blessing our family, friends, and spouses, had been. The evening was a delightful reunion. I’m so grateful for the people I have met throughout my life and the impact they have had on me.