It's a wedding!

I apologize for being off the grid for so long. My travel schedule has been a bit hectic lately so I've been slacking on posting! I've got quite a few posts to do to bring everyone up to date, so buckle up!

Two weekends ago, I flew out to Hartford, Conn. to solemnize a wedding in Sheffield, Mass. Yes, I said solemnize. Next to being asked to be the godparent of a friend's child, one of the greatest honors of friendship is to be asked to officiate a friend's wedding. In another testament to the fact that time and distance don't always diminish friendships, my friends Deb and Karin asked me to marry them. I didn't even have to think about it, I said "yes!". Massachusetts is the only state that legally recognizes same-sex marriages. So, for this union to be legal, I had to apply for a one day Justice of the Peace through the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

For those of you that know me well, you may be surprised that I agreed to perform a wedding since I'm a little jaded on the whole marriage thing. Perhaps my opening words will explain:

"When Deb & Karin asked me to perform this ceremony, I immediately said 'Yes'. I said 'yes' because I recognized a trait in their relationship that convinced me that their love was sincere. That trait is respect. Respect not only for each other, but also respect for their roles as a couple within their families and friends."

As you can see in this picture, lots of family and friends showed up to support their decision to get married. Over 100 people gathered at an amazing lodge in Sheffield at the edge of the woods (through which runs the Appalachian Trail) to witness the union of these two incredible women. The morning started off sunny and hot and most of us hit the trails for hiking before the start of the afternoon wedding. As the hour drew near, the sky clouded up. 30 minutes before the wedding saw an afternoon shower in full swing. The brides were in separate cabins getting ready and someone made the decision to move the wedding indoors into a screened-in, covered patio. Five minutes to go. Everything has been moved and someone sends for the brides. Word comes back- the brides want the ceremony outside. As if on cue, the rain stops, and we all pitch in to move the ceremony back outdoors. With only a 10-15 minute delay, the wedding goes on with just a few drops raining down on us as the breeze moves through the trees overhead. Notice the brides looking up in the picture as Karin's brother-in-law Matt sings "I see skies of blue and clouds of white" from the Louis Armstrong song "What a wonderful world." As we all chuckle at those timely lyrics, I'm stirred by the song that I know is one of my dad's favorites.

I felt a bit guilty as everyone came up to me after the ceremony and commented on how beautiful it was. Although I spoke a few words of my own at the beginning, the whole ceremony was put together by Deb & Karin. They said that they took bits and pieces from other ceremonies they had attended and things they had read. Most weddings are filled with words that, in my opinion, don't accurately portray what's really felt by two people who have chosen to spend their lives together and the reality of what they face as they stand together through changing seasons of their lives.

"When you love someone, you do not love them all the time, in exactly the same way, from moment to moment. That is impossible. Yet that is what most of us demand. We have such little faith in the ebb and flow of life and of love and of relationships."

There's a lot of truth ringing in that statement!

"May Deb & Karin keep the vows made on this day in freedom, teaching each other who they are, what they yet shall be, enabling them to know that in the fullness of being, they are more than themselves and more than each other, that they are all of us. . . "

The wedding was held on the grounds of Race Brook Lodge with the reception in a huge renovated barn! I think this was one of the funnest receptions I've ever been to!!! Bridie drove over from Ithaca to attend the wedding and hang out for a day. In the wake of the afternoon shower was some hot, humid air! As you can see in the pictures of me and Bridie and of the Colorado contingency (Russell, Charlene, me, Deb & Larry) we worked up quite a sweat dancing late into the humid night!

The next day, everyone gathered for a leisurely breakfast provided by the lodge and lingered over coffee. Deb & Karin headed home to Boston where they are readying their home for the arrival of their baby at the end of November. Although it was tempting to just lounge around in one of the numerous hammocks on the grounds, the rest of us gathered our things and prepared for the rest of the New England adventure we had planned.

Time to head further east. . .