Yesterday was one of those magical life days. It was the kind of day that a girl will do just about anything for to jump on a plane and trot across the globe just to be present for the day that her best friend's wedding. By all accounts, it was a magical day. It wasn't just the beautiful, Southern California weather, or the fact that so many wonderful people were able to converge in one place at one time as witnesses in the spiritual union of two, such obvious soul mates. It was one of those days when you look across the table at your beautiful best friend and realize that in her graciousness and poise as a bride, you aren't simply just walking through life with her (as her booty-shaking side-kick and partner in inevitably certain crime), but forever in the process of getting to know her as someone in possession of so many levels joy and gratitude. I must dearly confess that I completely fell in love Cookie all over again yesterday. As I stood as a witness in her wedding, I watched her listen and absorb every word of her childhood minister. She soaked in everything, taking snapshots with her heart and truly enjoying the magic and journey of the day. She was fully attentive in soaking in the sentiments of every dinner speech and well-wisher.
For me, just being there was a reminder that these are the sorts of moments that human beings live for. Magical life days are the days that give us hope and remind us of our optimism. They are the days that bring us together and give us reason to launch our good energy into the unforeseeable future for the sake of two individuals who deserve nothing less than the very best. They are the reasons why babies are born, or as the groom's grandmother and bride's grandfather respectively admitted during the course of the festivities, these are the days that grandparents look forward to seeing in the course of their own lifetimes, from the very first day that they hold their beloved progeny in their hands. If this is not reason enough to get out of bed every day with a gracious smile, I'm not sure what is.
Rather selfishly, I feel the need to admit that this particular day couldn't have come at a better time for me. Somehow, my usual reserve of optimism sprung a leak during the past couple of months of living in the Middle East. I felt it happening and did my very best to keep running on empty, simply because I didn't have the time or the ability to stop, slow down and repair the issue. Oddly enough, I thought I was doing a fantastic job of keeping the matter under wraps, but these are the types of things that we may be able to tuck away from ourselves, but we certainly cannot hide from the people who love us the most. In my time abroad, I have been scrapping away at the the underbelly of the human condition, and I have inadvertently allowed much of the negativity and darkness I dance with down there to invade and eat away at my blue sky. Fortunately for all of us, blue sky is a free and renewable resource. On that note, so are the unfailing strength and gentleness of amazing friends...
So, I'm officially home for a few weeks now. At the moment, I feel like somewhat of a tourist in my own life, which, for the record, is a rather delightful destination on wheels. Despite my current state of horrendous jet lag and rather gnarly wedding hangover, I couldn't be more grateful for this moment.
Namaste
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4 comments:
Good to hear that it went off well N. Thanks for the report, & I'm glad it was such an affirming experience that you could regain some of your optimism. You can't be in the ME for long without becoming a true fatalist. Which means that your optimism is tempered by the seconds of duration it can last. Cheers & Good Luck, 'VJ'
Welcome home, Namaste.
And I fell in love with you too, my dearest, as the most beautiful of bridesmaids. Thank you for making the 2 day trek just to be there to support me.
Oh, how I know: There is no place like home, and no one like the best of friends.
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