Moving reunions

Do you ever see those scenes in movies where two loved ones are reunited after a long separation? Those scenes tend to be full of emotion and usually a swell of heartfelt background music crescendos as the long-lost parties meet and embrace. Especially when the reunion is a surprise to at least one of them. Then you get the full treat of their reactions.

Well, I'm not much of a sucker for such scenes. Sure, they are pleasant enough, and if they tie in with a happy ending to the movie, so much the better. I like happy endings, after all. But shedding a tear? From hard-hearted Helly? Not likely.

Unless it's in real life. And you know the parties involved. Let me backtrack.

Since about the beginning of the year, a man (I'll call "B") joined our church's congregation (mind you, this was well before we ever joined). He is a Fulbright scholar, here from Kenya to get a graduate degree at UCSB. His first quarter here was understandably difficult. New country, new school, new surroundings, and far away from his loved ones. Harder still was the fact that his children were grown and leading lives of their own, leaving his wife alone at home in Kenya. Then he stumbled upon our church, and was welcomed with loving arms. Although things got better for him, it was clear how much he still missed his family. Wouldn't you, in his shoes?

Cue to last Sunday. B was invited on stage to casually teach us some elementary verses from worship songs in Swahili. It was a lot of fun, and we got some good giggles at most everyone's inability to pronounce some of the more complicated words. Then our pastor gave us a bit of background info on B, explaining how he came to the US and what his current situation was. He emphasized how important it was that B's wife should be here with her husband, and asked the ushers to take up another collection of donations to help fly his wife in from Kenya.

But before they could get the collection plates out, our pastor put his arm on B's shoulder, looked at him solemnly (but with a twinkle in his eye), and confessed: "I haven't been completely honest with you. I'm afraid I've been a bit deceitful" You could practically HEAR everyone leaning forward in their seats wondering what would happen next.

And then he dropped this bombshell:

"Your wife isn't actually in Kenya", while pointing to the entrance in the back. In unison, our heads turned around to see the doors open and... B's wife step in!

Although there was no music, I'm sure many of us heard it in our heads as B stepped down from the pulpit and his wife made his way up the aisle. The two met in the middle and embraced. The look of sheer surprise, shock and joy on B's face was a wonder to behold. I can only imagine what went through his head as he saw his wife for the first time in almost a year, and so unexpectedly! We all rose to our feet and thundered applause as they repeatedly embraced and B kept stepping back to look at his wife in wonder, as if he were thinking "Is this for real!?"

It was a sweet moment to savor. And it brought a tear to my eye. Very little in life does that to me. And I think it's safe to say I got to witness a moment I won't easily forget. Have you hugged your loved ones lately?