On the weekend of 2/3/4 October we had our annual reunion of 10 couples, the husbands of which were all at medical school together. The London Hospital Medical College. It was the 40th year since we all qualified. This year Steve came and brought his new wife, Barbara. I sat next to her at dinner on the Friday. She is a poet. As the wine flowed (in me!) I eventually asked her if she would write a poem for me to read out on the Saturday evening after dinner. When Kath and I got back from a day out on Saturday there was an envelope that had been delivered to our room. It had Barbara's poem in it. I read it out to Kath and had a few tears reading the last verse. However, I practiced it and though I may not make a fool of myself. I decided to tell the gang that there was a possibility of my cracking up reading it. The last time I read a poem was at my lovely Goddaughter's wedding. Samantha. She is Robin and Chris's daughter and they were both at the reunion as they a medical and dental students in our year. I read out the poem and messed a few words (booze!) but it was listened to in absolute silence. Here it is.
Reflections by Barbara Shalet, 2009.
Forty years have passed on by-
How they have so swiftly gone
Leaving a host of memories
For each of us to look upon.
In an instant I am able
To upon those years reflect
And recall the times we all shared
The I never shall forget.
Ambitious, young and eager -
A band of hopeful men
With the whole wide world at our feet -
That's how we thought - back then.
As we gained our right of passage
Different thresholds we walked though -
Stepping along our various paths
Yet, our friendships still stayed true.
The sense of group identity,
The laughter and the fun,
The stars within our grasps we thought -
Now a new time has begun.
And still the camaraderie
From all those years ago
Is as vibrant as it ever was
And it always shall be so.
My life has been so richly blessed
In knowing each of you
And I know the bond we share tonight
Will last a lifetime through.
