Our Hangout

60 years strong!

This is more of a personal post. So if you're not interested, that's cool, I just needed to write this down.

As I mentioned in my last post this past Saturday Vania and I went to Oshawa to celebrate the 60th wedding anniversary of Clem and June Thistle.

60 years of marriage. Can you even imagine that? During those 60 years they bought and completely renovated around 33 homes. A hobby of theirs that they're still not completely over. They have an eye for decoration like I've never seen before. One of the last homes they bought was a brand new home. Guess what they did? Yup, they couldn't just leave it alone. No, they redecorated! Now, the last one wasn't like that, but before that, probably every single one of the homes they owned, when I say redecorated, I'm talking about taking it right down to the bare essentials and starting over.

Clem and June arrived at Essex one year before I did. Although they are old enough to be our grandparents. Clem & June became great friends of ours during our time in Essex. They were never old in our eyes. Probably because of the youth that was and is in them. They are gracious and gentle (most of the time) setting them apart from most people their age.

They are so very cool. In a way, because we haven't seen each other since we left Essex, Vania and I really didn't know how we would find them. We found them exactly the same! Okay, age has worn them down a bit, but you'd barely know it. They're so alive and excited about God, life and friendship.

Clem's passion for God is unequaled. The first thing he did when he saw me was hug me, and the next thing he did was quote something I'd said in a sermon so many years ago. Something I wouldn't have been able to quote myself. That doesn't say anything about me, as much as it speaks about his passion for Christ. Maybe that's true because they only decided to follow Christ later in life. He was also rescued (he would say) from a life of addiction. As Jesus once said, those who have been forgiven much love much. Clem and June love much. June is a fiery spirit. Alive and exciting to be around. We are so privileged to be part of their lives, if only from a distance these days.

It was so good to see them! And then the bonus.

It wasn't until we were about a kilometer from the restaurant that we realized, we would probably be running into some old friends. The funny part was, we thought of all the potential people we might see, and we thought of the people Clem and June always went out to lunch with. But they weren't there, they're on an Alaskan tour, so we regretably missed them.

For some reason it wasn't until we got right to the restaurant that we realized Sue and Ralph might be there. We realized that the moment before we saw them. And Ralph's tears said everything the moment meant. We love Sue and Ralph. They were such a big part of our lives in Essex. During some tough times they were our strength. It was so cool to see them and talk to them. We hugged over and over and over again. If you guys read this, it's moments like that that help you realize just how much we have missed you.

And then someone we didn't expect to see, but were thrilled, actually that doesn't describe how much it meant, but there was Nancy Fitch. Vania and I went to Zimbabwe for a month in 1996 with Nancy and Len (he wasn't there, I was disappointed, I miss Len). We have so many stories with Nancy and Len. Nearly being swallowed up by the Zambezi river because Len wanted some "real" white water rafting. Golfing regularly together at Belleriver Golf Course. Debating this and that topic and so much more.

They, like us, had no clue we'd be there. So the surprise went both ways. It was exciting! There's nothing like real friends. People you might not see for years, but one moment together and you know nothing's changed. Love transcending time and distance. It makes the thought of a new earth and a new heaven exciting to me.

It doesn't end there...I found this so cool, I think we're going to make a trip down to Essex in the Fall, and maybe try to get as many of the friends who live there together as possible. Many of them haven't see each other either.

Here's one of the things I discovered about these people I've just mentioned, and a few others too, they were the kind of people that although, theologically, we might not have crossed our t's and dotted our i's in all the exact same places, our love for one another was deeper than our positions. And, you have to understand, in Essex where you crossed your t's and dotted your i's was really important.

Miss you guys, so much more than I realized!

Posted by ed