For a year now we have been working towards Joel and Becca's wedding, which was held last Thursday at the Roche Harbor Resort out in the San Juan Islands. One hundred and six people traveled by plane, car, float plane and ferry to get there. It wasn't cheap or easy, but the separation of the island location from everyone's daily lives heightened the wedding spirit.
The intensity of the preparations has been increasing steadily and the last month has truly been very busy. It didn't help that Mike developed acute pancreatitis and had to spend two days in the hospital the week before the wedding. We were afraid he wouldn't be able to fully participate, or maybe even attend, but the doctors pulled him together and he was feeling quite well.... enough to resent all the admonitions to please take it easy. I am not too bad at managing my own time, but I am not a good at delegating or asking other people for help. Thankfully my family didn't wait for me to ask and pitched in with much appreciated enthusiasm. I couldn't have done my part without them.
The ceremony itself was really powerful. Never having attended a Jewish wedding before, I found the rites to be anchored in tradition, but still fresh, meaningful and inclusive. There were a couple of glitches...the microphone had to be abandoned after some horrendous shrieks, and a bug (a big one) flew into the kiddish cup just before the bride took a sip of wine...but the imperfections just grounded the ceremony in the absurdity of life and added to the buoyancy of the occasion. The most moving part for me was the love and tenderness in my son's eyes for his bride. This is what a mother most hopes her children will find...true connection and a partner for life. I have no reservations about these two being right for each other.
We are so grateful for all of the family and friends who went out of their way to come celebrate with us. The gathering created a palpable atmosphere of joy that we all will remember for the rest of our lives.