January 20, 2008
Perfect
I've been thinking about last night all morning. Yes, there were a few very funny moments that I just can't put down into words. After all.....it was an evening of ME with my conservative family. You can bet your bottom dollar there were funny moments.
But the purpose of the evening was the exchanging of vows between my cousin's daughter "A" and her SO. And I want to focus on that.
First off....it was NOT one of our traditional wedding services. Not as conservative as usual but not elaborate by any means. It was.....perfect.
A few candles, a few flowers but a church filled with people who loved and had some influence on the lives of the Bride and Groom.
Below I mentioned one part of the minister's message. THAT I took issue with....but over all? It was pretty damned good advice.
It all boils down to love and respect. Treat your mate with the utmost respect. Remember - it's not always about you. Remember that compromise is not a bad thing. Be the first to say I'm Sorry. Be the first to forgive.
And my favorite words of wisdom when it comes to marriage. Never let the sun go down on your anger. Hard to do, but so important.
If I could have added one thing....it would have been to remember where you come from. Remember the lessons of love you saw in your home growing up.
We are very lucky in our family. There have only been four divorces in our family's history. Yes, I said that correctly. There have only ever been four members of our family that had a marriage end in divorce. We marry for keeps. It's not a decision to be made lightly, and when things get tough - you don't cut and run.
I.....am one of the four. I'm not proud of it, but I did learn from it. And for some reason, the generation coming into bloom right now, seems to understand that I do know of what I speak.
So I shared my words of wisdom with A and her new husband. And I added one other thing. I told them to always remember to laugh. Every day. Laugh and remember the joy of new love. Laughter, in my book, makes everything just that much easier.
It was a beautiful ceremony, and I'm so happy for both of them. They were delightful children, engaging teenagers and have grown into extraordinary young adults. They are grounded and strong - both in their faith and their love.
Yeah.....it was a wonderful wedding.
Posted by Tammi at January 20, 2008 12:29 PM | TrackBack