Reunions!

There would be some type of reunion happening every second of every day somewhere in the world. Reunions range in magnitude from meetings of world leaders to discuss policy and previously set agendas to the simple act of a Mum collecting her kids from school each day.  I hear you say that these are not really reunions but merely meetings. We tend to think of reunions as gatherings of significant groups after long periods apart.

So, a reunion may be an organized event of old school friends coming together after chasing their dreams and raising their families.  It may be the gathering of family members, both close and distant, to reminisce about those who have gone before and what is to come in the future. It maybe old war comrades spending time, simply sitting, being comfortable with their mates, with no words necessary or adequate. It may be the poignant meeting of a mother and a long lost child - separated by war or given up at birth due to circumstances that only she can understand. It may be the passionate coming together of lovers after a long period apart.

Whatever the circumstance, each reunion is one of great emotion. It can mean the reopening of old wounds, long forgotten memories relived, and grief for those who are no longer with us to make the pilgrimage to this gathering. They can be a very joyous occasion with it being almost impossible to express the outpouring of love that is experienced at simply being with that person. It can be a very tentative time as one navigates their way through the various factions that invariably exist in large gatherings. Reunions are ambivalent - they can be as damaging as they can be healing. I like to think though, that reunions are a time of healing as past issues can be dealt with, talked out and a resolution reached.

Yesterday, I know there was a reunion of my two dearest friends after months apart. To one of them it was a complete surprise - but what a beautiful surprise. How they deserve to be together! There was no healing needed in this reunion. I say to them - enjoy each other, for you have been apart too long.

If you are lucky enough to be involved in a reunion, however large or small, take time to let those you love know how much being in their presence means to you.  Take time to catch up on past shared times and memories. We at WinC Wrap in Cotton want you, as part of our family, to look forward to a reunion of original members sometime in the future when the preferred wrapping for gifts is cotton. Wrapping that is paid forward from generation to generation. Imagine a family reunion where each member brings along his/her cotton wrap and what strong emotions and memories that one small piece of fabric has the power to evoke! Wrap your gifts in cotton!

There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered. (Nelson Mandela)