Weddings

I know this is only our second date. We barely know each other. No, I won't continue that metaphor forever, but for now I think I'll keep it. We are just getting acquainted after all.

Last night I attended one of the most beautiful (a word used too often for things unworthy of its true meaning in my opinion) weddings of my life.

Oh, mine was something, for sure. A wedding party of six bridesmaids, six groomsmen, a ring bearer, a singer, a pianist, an organist, a preacher, and a bagpiper. There was much ado about us, and it was glorious. The bagpiper greeted guests along Main Street and led the procession. Scottish myrtle, heather, white roses, and cathedral candles adorned the pews with ivory tulle. I wore a custom made gown I designed myself, and yes, I felt like a princess. I suppose it did appear much like a fairy tale, but in truth, the atmosphere and yards of ivory velvet and satin did little to set the mood. The certainty, the absolute comfort, and the finality of my vows filled my heart in a way that nothing physical ever could.

That day tied ends of a volatile courtship of over seven years. In our engagement we reached a crossroads, and with God's direction and perhaps by rejecting our own wayward spirits, we found peace. I was twenty two and knew with my whole self that I would never love another man the way I loved the one I would marry. That certainty has never wavered. We will celebrate our tenth anniversary this fall.

An outdoor wedding in June. Rolling green pastures against God's majesty--the Blue Ridge Mountains. Tiny white chairs held rattan fans for ladies melting with the setting sun. Pink and green Chinese lanterns floated with white lights above banquet tables and a checkerboard dance floor.

Black clouds stacked in the southwestern sky and erupted into splats of rain. Rain. A downpour with ten minutes to go. Attendants lept across the lawn as we peered through the rain streaked windshield, wipers, and fence that separated us from the wedding party. My heart fell. Emily--the bride, one of my first and dearest students--Emily would be devastated. Emily loves butterflies and Jewel and her precious little boy. Rain was not in the plan.

We left the car with the last few drips. Attendants wiped chairs, and the wedding party gave the okay--only about ten minutes behind schedule. To the east above the fresh mown meadow and balancing like a column above the mountains, a rainbow. A rainbow. God's symbol of forgiveness and love became the backdrop for sweet Emily's perfect day. The sun fell at angles just right to spotlight the vapor still dancing in the honeysuckled air. Little girls twirled their sundresses in its beams. Everyone smiled.

Emily. Oh Emily, you looked like an angel. I wondered if you worried about grass stains on your train. The shoulders of your gown capped your arms like a hug and your hair fell in ringlets like liquid gold. You floated across the glistening grass to music I know you chose with precision and love. It was perfect. My heart smiled at you, and for you. You exchanged vows that you'd written for one another and I envied and admired your confidence. Oh that the world could and would express its feelings with such grace. I don't know if you saw the rainbow or the white cat who glided across your stage, but I did, and I knew that your day happened just as it was meant to....

No, I didn't think you'd left me.  I knew that you were still there. Thank you for staying. I felt this moment needed to be shared. I wanted to share it with you.

Copyright © 2011. Carrie Ellen Campbell. All Rights Reserved. http://carriellencampbell.blogspot.com. Please respect Carrie's intellectual property. Sharing blog posts is permitted, but no part of this material may be copied, downloaded, reproduced, or printed without express written consent. Contact Carrie at: carrieellencampbell@icloud.com.