HOW do you handle a reunion, either school or college? Where one finds friends one hasn’t met in years, many who were very close, some unfortunately haven’t done as well as the others, and an awkward period of readjustments follow. But should there be these new adjustments? Can’t a relationship remain the same however and whichever way life has treated friends?
A man and his dog were walking along a road. The man was enjoying the scenery, when it suddenly occurred to him that he was dead. After a while, they came to a high, white stonewall along one side of the road with a magnificent gate in the arch made of pure gold. He and the dog walked toward the gate, and as he got closer, he saw a man at a desk to one side and called out, “Excuse me, where are we?”
“This is Heaven, sir,” the man answered. “Wow! Would you happen to have some water?” the man asked. “Of course, sir. Come right in, and I will have some ice water brought right up.” The man gestured, and the gate began to open. “Can my friend come in, too?” asked the traveller gesturing to his dog. “I’m sorry, sir, but we don’t accept pets.”
The man thought a moment and then turned back toward the road and continued the way he had been going. After another long walk, and at the top of another long hill, he came to a dirt road which led through a farm gate that looked as if it had never been closed. There was no fence. As he approached the gate, he saw a man inside, leaning against a tree and reading a book.
“Excuse me!” he called to the reader. “Do you have any water?” “Yeah, sure, there’s a pump over there”. The man pointed to a place that couldn’t be seen from outside the gate. “Come on in.” “How about my friend here?” the traveller gestured to the dog. “There should be a bowl by the pump.”
They went through the gate, and sure enough, there was an old fashioned hand pump with a bowl beside it. The traveller filled the bowl, took a long drink himself, then gave some to the dog. When they were full, he and the dog walked back toward the man who was standing by the tree waiting for them. “What do you call this place?” he asked.
“This is Heaven,” was the answer. “Well, that’s confusing,” the traveller said. “The man down the road said that was Heaven, too.” “Oh, you mean the place with the gold streets and pearly gates? Nope. That’s Hell.”
“Doesn’t it make you mad for them to use your name like that?” “No. I can see how you might think so, but we’re just happy that they screen out the folks who’ll leave their best friends behind!” Now go for your reunion and continue old friendships..!
