Reunions and Deck Furniture

Twice a year we do the same thing.
It happens in the spring.
It happens again in the fall.
This past weekend was the day.

It is the day when all of the outdoor furniture comes inside for the winter.
I am never sad about that since I enjoy fall and winter.
I like to see the table, chairs, and market umbrella right outside my kitchen door.
I like to see the wicker coffee table on my porch.

However, there is a time to put all of that away.
Most of the wind chimes come down; country accessories on the garden table are put away.
It looks a bit bare but it is necessary to protect everything from the winter weather.
Most of the things my husband can move by himself; the larger items are a two man job.

It used to be a three man job: my husband and our two sons.
Out sons would help their dad in a minute.
However, one son lives two-and-a-half hours away, the other son lives an hour away.
Picking a day that works for everyone must be planned in advance.

Since my husband was taking a long weekend off, it was the best time to get this done.
I reached out to my son-in-love and asked if he could help.
He has his own house to take care of, yet he was extremely willing.
He sent me a text telling me when to expect him.

I watched my husband and our son-in-love carry each of the pieces down the basement.
We have a walkout basement, so bringing things through the french doors is convenient.
They worked hard carrying things separately and carrying the heavy things together.
The deck is completely empty now, ready for the first snowfall.

Our high school reunion was hours after they moved the deck furniture.
It has been forty years since my husband and I graduated from high school.
It does not feel that long.
In fact, it is hard to believe that so many years have passed.

When the reunion was first announced, I was very excited to go.
The last reunion we had been to, was our tenth reunion.
It had been forty years since I have seen some people.
It had been thirty years since I have seen others.

The restaurant where the reunion was held was near our high school.
So much of the area had changed since a new state road was added years ago.
Yet much of the area had stayed the same.
We were driving at night; the roads that were so familiar now looked different to me.

As we approached our high school, my husband began to sing our Alma Mater.
I had no idea he even remembered it.
He sang the words up to the part where we all tended to stop.
Even then, the words in the other stanzas got harder as the song went on.

We walked into the restaurant and walked back in time.
Right away, there were hugs, and gasps, and pointing from across the room.
We all checked in and had to write our name on a name tag.
My husband actually took a marker and asked me the important question.

What do you want me to put on your name tag?
That would seem like an absurd question to most people but not to me.
Everyone now knows me as, Gina.
Everyone then knew me by my full name, Regina.

There were people in high school who called me, Reggie.
There were others who called me, Reg.
My husband’s question was valid.
Do you want me to put your maiden name, too? He asked.

All of my names went on my name tag.
Regina, followed by my maiden name on one line and my married name on the next.
That was a smart thing to do.
As we all gathered, the name tags were so helpful.

When I went to grade school, my mother thought I would be the only Regina in the class.
There were actually three of us and one of the other ones was at the reunion.
Apparently both of our mothers thought that we would be the only Regina in the class.
So many stories, so many memories, so many laughs.

Our high school mascot was a lion.
In a caption of a photo, someone wisely said, Once a lion, always a lion.
It was a bit strange to see, Welcome, Class of ’77, on the banner.
It was wonderful to hear all the music we loved being played throughout the night.

Friends reconnected.
Group pictures were happening everywhere.
People remembered lab partners and who sat behind them in homeroom.
Stories I had no thought about in years were brought to mind again.

Life has taken each of us on many roads since graduation.
Some lives have gone the path that was expected.
Some lives have gone a different way.
Forty years of living was represented in that room; good and bad that happens to everyone.

I thank my God every time I remember you. (Philippians 1:3)

I thought about the deck furniture that was put away just hours before.
The deck furniture had its place all through the spring and the summer.
Now it was time to put it away to get ready for the winter.
Now it was time to store it until we need to bring it out again.

How appropriate that taking in the deck furniture happened on the same day as our reunion.
It was so good to be with everyone and reconnect with so many friends.
Those moments are treasured.
We cannot stay in those moments any more than my deck furniture can stay out all winter.

Those memories and those moments go in a special place in our hearts.
They are retrieved again and again.
I look forward to the next reunion in ten years, if God allows.
Until then, the memories of our 40th reunion are stored safely away.

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.
(Ecclesiastes 3:1)

Deck furniture and reunions have more in common than I ever imagined.
Each has its necessary place.
Each has to be put away for a while.
Only to be taken out again.