Surprises

One day last week we had occasion to be in Blackwell, our home town, and Howard had the urge to look up a classmate that he heard ran a resale shop there. His intent was to ask her about her brother, his old pal and childhood playmate. Since we had had scarcely any contact with any of his class in 57 years, living away during most of that time, I was surprised he wanted to renew acquaintances at this point in our lives.

Nevertheless, we wandered around the well-kept store until a clerk came to wait on us. Howard explained our situation and was told by the friendly, curious woman that the proprietor had the day off. She told us her name, which sounded familiar, and it turned out she was a member of his class, although we didn't remember her. After recalling many classmates they both knew, I realized my husband hadn't told her his name. "Tell her who you are!" I said.

"Howard Summers!" she gasped at hearing his name. "Do you remember what we did?" I was all ears, but he looked puzzled. "We stood up at Hugh and Nancy's wedding!" Hugh Evans? Howard had been trying to get in touch with him forever! She then explained she was the bride's cousin, which we had forgotten if we ever knew that. Then we asked if she were related to a another girl by the same last name that we remembered. "My cousin!" she exclaimed.

She began rambling on, bringing up familiar names and said, "Carolyn (still best friend of the subject of our inquiry) is in the back. She would love to see you!" We went back to see a group of white-haired little volunteer ladies (some we remembered as being high school cheerleaders) folding clothes around a table.

Before we knew it, it was like old home week. Threads of memory were being pulled, each one leading to a another acquaintance and being woven into a tapestry taking shape of a community we had all but forgotten. By the time we left, we had exchanged phone numbers and had been eagerly invited to some upcoming get-togethers! "We had only nine last time," someone lamented.

How unexpected was this mini-reunion! Something else unexpected happened today. I had resolved yesterday to go back to the doctor, since my knee pain wasn't any better. I felt it was an exercise in futility, though, since he had let me know last month that he was not interested in giving me a cortisone shot (which I wanted) at that point, citing dangers and precautions. Still, I was suffering and the medicine wasn't helping much. We prayed before we got there that I would get satisfaction.

The doctor wasn't in, but had left a PA in charge. After examining me, he suggested a steroid joint injection without my even asking! Praise God! I came out of there feeling like a load of depression had been lifted and am now looking forward to a pain-free life again! I might even feel like attending that get-together!