unfolding

Nine more days until the wedding... Ed picked up our rings on Friday evening (they arrived a week early – yay!) I picked up my dress on Saturday, and yesterday I shipped it off to be sure it arrives at the hotel before we leave the Northwest. (I trust UPS more than I trust United.) Last night, we made our final picks for ceremony and reception music.

When we were in Batavia for Aaron and Jessie’s wedding, we were surprised to see them choosing music the night before. Surely, that wouldn’t be us. And yet, there we were – just four days before we fly out of here – listening to piece after piece of beautifully composed classical music, searching for the one that we most want to hear after the minister pronounces us husband and wife – a piece that would express the celebration we know we’ll feel. We found it.

Out of all the ideas we’ve had, the details we’ve managed, and the choices we’ve made, choosing music hasn’t taken priority until now. Something else about the wedding, or something else in life (such as sleep), seemed to take precedence on any given day. Now it’s one more thing crossed off the list. From the beginning, our list was much smaller than most, because we’re not doing many of the “traditional” things.

Still, for even a relatively simple wedding such as we are having, the details involved to put it on are significant. More than I realized. Some of that is the nature of a destination wedding – planning from a distance; some has to do with coordinating travel and lodging for most of 30 people. We have spent an enormous amount of the last year talking about, planning, and preparing for this one day.

This one day.

It will be a big day to be sure. An important day. One (of several) that we will share with our family and friends on Kauai. One (of many) that marks a transition point in our lives.

And we are mindful that it is a beginning day. We have lived as a family for over a year now, yet this day represents a transformation beyond the piece of paper. Our wedding day starts our marriage, continues our partnership, and provides a new frame for our romance.

We intend to laugh that day, maybe cry, embrace each other and each of you, enjoy a feast of celebration and be grateful. We will toast our great good fortune to have found each other, seen our potential together, and made our dreams come true. We will know our blessings and humbly share them with you.

…

People have asked how I can make time for the blog with all that has to be done. I am running around a bit this week (okay, a lot – cluck, cluck) and it is a little crazy getting ready to be gone for three weeks. But if I didn’t write I might explode – the writing grounds me, provides focus, and brings me back to why we are doing all of this. I thank all of you who have let me know that you are enjoying these posts. I’d write anyway, but it’s nice to know there is an appreciative audience.

To love someone deeply gives you strength. Being loved by someone gives you courage.
~ Lao Tzu