Weddings on My Mind

Michael & Heather

So, having just spent a long weekend in Las Vegas to celebrate our son’s marriage to his dearly loved Heather, I have weddings on my mind. Theirs was a fun affair with only an occasional inclusion of tradition. She did wear a white dress and her father walked her down the aisle, but “Elvis” did the honors and there was so much laughter that there was no room for tears.

The happy couple wore their grins throughout. The guests wore their Vegas-style sunglasses. We all sang with Elvis, laughed with the wedding pair and felt both the sincerity of their vows of love and the spirit of joy in which their “official” lives together began.

Whatever form the ceremony takes, the essence of weddings is the profession of love and a commitment to each other. The traditional vows that reference sickness and health, poverty and wealth were, I suppose, originally designed to remind the couple that life ahead is not without its ups and downs, and to underscore the depth of the commitment that is being made.

Best Man & Groom

Whatever is said in those few minutes when promises are made, the truth of any marriage lies in the years that follow. It is then that we discover how truly demanding it can be to keep our love uppermost in mind and heart when the pressures of work and family heat up. It is then that we learn how rewarding it can be to find compromise that works for both, solutions to problems that might seem overwhelming.

What struck me about the weekend’s wedding was the determination of both people to make this leap of faith and the happiness that flooded their faces as they did so. They are neither too young nor too inexperienced to misunderstand what they are doing or to measure the odds without caution. They know each other well and accept each other as they are.

Surrounded by their friends and family, Michael and Heather looked into each other’s eyes and made their promises. In the spirit of that commitment, I love an old Scottish blessing recalled below and wish it comes true for them.

May the best you've ever seen

Be the worst you'll ever see.

May the mouse never leave your pantry

With a tear-drop in his eye.

May you always keep healthy and hearty

Until you're old enough to die.

May you always be just as happy

As we wish you now to be.