The cool air of Cibeduk, Bogor Regency, West Java, in mid-July 2026 bore witness to a gathering that was far more than a reunion. In a quiet villa, far from the bustle of Jakarta, a group of middle-aged men came together—not merely to reconnect, but to strengthen, heal, and celebrate life’s journey.
In truth, we have never really felt middle-aged.
When we were young, we imagined people in their 50s as rigid, serious, and rather dull. Yet now that we have reached that milestone ourselves, our spirits seem to have remained somewhere in our high school days.
Laughter came easily. Old jokes resurfaced. Warm embraces bridged the years that had passed. For a moment, we were once again the mischievous seminarians who used to climb over the dormitory fence just to enjoy a bowl of instant noodles at the small food stall behind the seminary.
We belong to the fifth graduating class of Wacana Bhakti Minor Seminary of the Jakarta Archdiocese—the Class of 1994. This gathering marked what we affectionately called our “Golden Fifty” reunion, celebrating our arrival at the age of 50. Most of us reached that milestone in 2025 or 2026, while a few had crossed it earlier.
Two members of our batch became priests in religious congregations: Salesian Father Heribertus Agung Satria Laksmana, SDB, and Dominican Father Adrian Adirejo, OP.
What Does Fifty Really Mean?
Half a century is no brief passage of time. It is long enough for hair to turn gray, backs to ache more often and egos to slowly give way to wisdom. From the beginning, we agreed that this reunion would not become a stage for showcasing achievements. There was simply nothing to prove.
Too often, reunions quietly evolve into competitions over who has the highest position, the newest car, the largest house or children studying at prestigious universities abroad.
On that day in Cibeduk, however, all such social measurements were left outside the villa gates.
Life, we believe, is not a contest between winners and losers, nor a ladder separating those above from those below.
Life is a deeply personal pilgrimage.
God, the Divine Director, has designed a unique curriculum for every individual soul. Since each of us has been given different lessons to learn, it would be absurd to compare our examination results with those of someone else.
The Artisan of One’s Destiny
There is a Latin saying we have long cherished: Faber est suae quisque fortunae—each person is the artisan of his own destiny.
A true artisan does not work for applause. He works because he is faithful to his calling. With patient hands, he shapes his craft little by little. Sometimes he succeeds. Sometimes he chisels incorrectly. Sometimes he must dismantle what he has painstakingly built and begin again.
Yet he knows that every masterpiece is born not from an easy path, but from the patience to work through every crack and imperfection.
Life is much the same.
Listening as a Spiritual Practice
That is why the conversations throughout our reunion were not exhibitions of accomplishments, but stories of life’s journey.
Some shared the struggle of remaining faithful in marriage. Others spoke about rediscovering meaning after failure. Some reflected on making peace with painful memories, while others recounted moments when prayer unexpectedly transformed the course of their lives.
No story was considered better than another. Every experience was honored because it belonged to the person who had lived it.
We also made a simple agreement: no unsolicited advice. Unless someone explicitly asked for it, our task was simply to listen—with respect, empathy and an open heart.
Whenever a friend shared an experience that seemed unusual or difficult to understand, it became an invitation to broaden our own horizons. Listening itself became a spiritual discipline, reminding us that life is far richer than the narrow boundaries of our personal experiences.
Questions were welcome—but only to understand, never to judge. Every storyteller retained the freedom to decline to answer without feeling obliged to explain.
Rediscovering Ourselves
Through these honest, unguarded stories, we rediscovered fragments of ourselves.
We realized that none of us walks alone.
Before us stood the same faces with whom we had once shared dormitory rooms, meals, prayers, laughter and dreams at Wacana Bhakti Seminary on Pejaten Barat 10A, Pasar Minggu, South Jakarta. Time had changed our appearances and led us along very different paths, yet the roots of brotherhood planted during those formative years had grown remarkably deep.
In that encounter, we strengthened and enriched one another and, in many ways, found healing through one another’s wounds.
Celebrating Wholeness
In the end, our “Golden Fifty” reunion was never about the beauty of the villa or photographs worthy of social media.
What deserves celebration at this stage of life is not success measured by society’s standards.
What is truly worth celebrating is that, for 50 years, we have never stopped being artisans—continuing to shape ourselves, continuing to learn, continuing to begin again and continuing to discover meaning in every season of life.
In the end, people will remember us not for how high we once stood, but for how fully we became ourselves.
Until we meet again at the next stage of the journey, dear companions. May the happiness we have nurtured today continue to grow with every remaining step of our pilgrimage.
