The groom’s sister introduced her to me. “This is Betsy.”

I looked closely. Could this be a woman I hadn’t seen in 55 years?

Her beautiful white hair complemented her lovely pink complexion. But the shape and angles of her face were the same.

“Betsy P?” I asked.

“Yes?” She looked at me closely.

“Carol Froese” (my maiden name).

We grabbed each other in a bear hug.

Reuniting after 55 years

She had been on my mind

Earlier in the week, I’d had a seemingly random thought of Betsy, wondering what this former college roommate was doing now. And here we were at the same wedding reception, years later.

Don and I had traveled to Reedley to celebrate with our dear friends MarJean and Don at their wedding reception, following their marriage in Spokane.

En route, we met my brother, Melvyn, at the Cheesecake Factory in Fresno for a lovely early dinner. We always enjoy visiting with him.

Reception

Don and Jeannie’s guests included many of Don’s cousins, MarJean’s aunt and uncle, and a few close friends, including all four bridesmaids (of whom I was one) from MarJean’s first wedding to Conrad, who passed away from COVID several years ago.

Betsy is married to one of Don’s cousins. Catching up with this friend who has now been married fifty-five years and, with her husband, is a deacon in their church, was a real joy. In addition to Betsy, all five of our close college girlfriends and three or four more delightful college friends were there. What a reunion.

(For more, see my article, Friends Who Lift: Benefits of True Friendship)

Don and MarJean welcoming their friends and family

Harmony

Don asked us to sing the Doxology together and I must say, there’s nothing like a group of Mennonites in my generation singing together. We grew up singing harmonies. The sounds of our a capella, “Praise God from whom all blessings flow…” filled the room with deep, rich harmony that rose to the room’s high ceilings.

En route home

For a variety of reasons, we had decided to make this a one-day trip rather than an overnighter. Several friends were concerned about us driving home late at night. However, I think both Don and I (and especially me) were on a high after meaningful re-connections with old friends. We arrived home at 12:14 a.m., slipped into bed, and slept until we got up for church Sunday morning, followed by a very long afternoon nap!

 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.  Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.  No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

I John 4:10-12, NIV

Fifty-five years had passed, but our joy was real, as was the privilege to reconnect with old friends, and to share in that love we have because God loved us first!

For further reading:

We Love Because He First Loved Us, by Conrad Mbewe Evangelical Magazine, July/August 2019.