Recently a great occasion was held at our cabin. I had a reunion with three of my former roommates from BYU. We lived at 440 E. 700 N. This was the house we dubbed the "United Nations" because of the numerous friends and roommates of many countries who loved to call our house their activity headquarters. Ardith Gledhill Lindgren (who also served in Guatemala with me in the missionfield) came from Sacramento, Cherie Lundwall (who was first my sister's dear friend and then later mine)came from Ogden, and dear Brenda Meikle Thorpe, whose steadiness was a binding force for us then and was once again on this trip, came from Brigham City.
We had 4 days of quiet time to leave behind other cares and concerns and just reminisce and cry and laugh and catch-up. We looked thru old scrapbooks and chuckled at our big hair. (And tried to get our 60+ yr old brains to remember who people were!) We enjoyed a one-woman concert of cowboy songs by Cherie (which she does superbly). We explored lakes and streams and planted a commemorative Aspen Tree (which we hope will survive!). We even suddenly found ourselves in a snowstorm! (This is June, folks!)
How wonderful that friendships endure and that 40 years melt away with just a moment of renewal. These are dear ladies. They have been my rock thru occasional hard times. It was a wonderful uplifting few days together! Spring on the mountain was beautiful. Their collective spirit was beautiful.
You can appreciate why Aspen Mirror Lake has its name.
Ah, the hilarious scrapbooks!
Go ahead and laugh. That's me on row 2 in the brown dress. Ardith is behind me standing next to Cherie's brother, and that is Cherie on the back right. (Brenda is not in this photo). That is my sister, Julene, in the red plaid jumper.
When you look back at YOUR pictures in 20-40 years you'll feel the same.
Another interesting ocurrence is that just before this reunion I had a one-on-one reunion with another United Nations roommate, Sandi Tegland. She was my first good bud at that house when I returned from my mission in 1968. Sandi has recently moved back West from several years of working in Virginia/ DC area, and before that, years in San Diego. She now lives in Chubbock, Idaho near her family, enjoying retirement and happy to be healthy after a recent bout with cancer.
Also from the United Nations household is Carolyn Grey Kohntopp whom we have tracked down to Utah after many years here in Nevada and then a few years in Georgia near daughter Amber. Next reunion needs to include these two friends too. BYU years formed a huge part of who I am. A lot of that had to do with the blessing of wonderful people of all sorts who graced my life.
No comments:
Post a Comment