Re-union: (n) a bringing or coming together again; a second union; union formed anew after separation.

Love them or hate them, reunions seem to be a fact of getting older; another milestone on the journey of life. I’ve been to several school reunions over the years so it was bound to happen sooner or later – a reunion of our journalism class from (gulp) 32 years ago.

Duncan and I actually met on the 1978 ATI journalism course and I believe we are possibly the only couple who have married from the same intake. We went our separate ways after the course, Duncan for a stint on the Oamaru Mail and I to join the reporting team at Suburban Newspapers.

Six months later Duncan returned to Auckland and rang asking me out on a date – we’d always enjoyed each other’s company on the course, playing squash together and going on a few outings.

The rest, as they say, is history.

Fast forward 32 years and, out of the blue, last year we received an email from an old classmate trying to locate as many as possible from our intake with the idea of a get together – yes, a reunion – in February 2010.

We managed to round up 11 of our 24 former comrades and one of our two tutors.

The great day has now been and gone and, to be honest, I don’t really mind if another 32 years elapses before the next one. (I think a photo of us all on our zimmer frames could be quite entertaining!)

While it was nice enough to catch up with everyone for lunch at our tutor’s rural home and see who we recognised and who we didn’t, compare life notes, family photos and careers, after several hours there is only so much reminiscing and catching up you can do, especially if you no longer have much in common.

As Duncan says – the past is the past and we’re very happy right where we are living in the present. Although we have been journalists for more than 30 years (or maybe because we have!) we don’t really socialise with other “journo” types, with perhaps our fellow Australasian Religious Press Association Auckland members being the spasmodic exception.

The only person from the reunion I know I will keep in touch with turns out to be someone who also shares an active Christian faith and also has four children!

She and I had been in contact over the past few months as she was event co-ordinator but it wasn’t until we were chatting on the day of the reunion that we discoverd each other’s faith connections.

What is coming out of my ramble is this – while reunions may come and go through the course of our lives (and we can accept or decline the invitations) there is only one reunion I am really looking forward to and that is the reunion, one day, with my Lord and living Saviour in heaven.

What a reunion that will be!

Then there will be no past, present or future – just a blessed eternity in His presence.

– Fran Pardon