Forty-six years ...

Friday, November 22:  First of all, this photograph has absolutely nothing to do with the title of this post or any of the thoughts contained therein. It's just that I was out in the woods the other day, quite accidently without my camera--because I was driving through the woods with absolutely no intention of getting out to snap a picture--anyway, can you see the deer in the center of the oval? It's the best I could do with the distance and the fact that all I had was my ... phone.

But on to why I am posting. Today, I had the opportunity to see and speak with an old chum from college days. Dean and I used to play ping pong over at the lounge in Ann Pickett Hall at what was at the time, Baptist College. It was my sophomore year (and last) at college. I was in a serious relationship with a fellow who had transferred to Michigan State and Dean and I were only friends. What I remember most about him was how kind he was an how easy it was to be with him. Dean's older sister and husband have lived in Grand Rapids for a very long time and have gone to the same church (it's mega large), but now and then Faye and I would run into each other and I would ask about Dean. The other day, Faye beckoned me over to her seat to tell me that Dean was diagnosed with multiple myeloma and she and her husband had brought him to Grand Rapids from Indiana so that he could get optimum treatment for his cancer. They are hopeful. I had tried all week to connect him with the appropriate hospital so that I could pay a visit and today I was finally very thankfully able to do that. I'm not sure I would have recognized him if I had passed him in a hallway, but he struggled to recognize me as well. Sigh. That's what 46 years does to a person's outward appearance. As soon as we began to speak, though, I found Dean in his eyes. We talked perhaps 10 minutes and then a therapy specialist came for a 30 minute appointment. I left a card with Dean and hope to visit him again. I had been pretty nervous about going to see Dean--not knowing how sick he was or perhaps if I would be unwelcomed in that situation. But all was well. Thank you, Lord, and please bring healing to my old chum.