I Do

Going to a best friend's wedding invariably brings up many questions. There are the initial questions: What should I wear? Should I wear an up-do or go o naturale? Should I buy them the ice cream scoop/gelato maker set from Williams Sonoma, or the Classy Cookbook and Cookbook Holder from Crate and Barrel? Questions, questions, questions. The time leading up to the wedding is full of fun and gossip and laughter. It is a thrill to take part in the whole process, to be a part of the drama. Even for someone who is not going to be getting married tomorrow (or the day after tomorrow), I get swept up in the magic of it all. I find myself fantasizing about how MY dress will look and where I'LL plan my special day. Yet, all of these questions, all these contemplations are just the tip of the iceberg.

We spend the first quarter of our lives in perfect step with our closest friends. I have been blessed to have a very eclectic group of friends that I look at as my sisters and brothers. We are ALWAYS by each others' side, we are always there to protect, support and make fun of one another. Growing up, there were soccer games (aka flower picking sessions for me) and talent shows, school dances and first kisses. There were the nights of slumber parties, toilet papering the neighbors' houses, daring each other to run down the street with our training bras outside our shirts. We moved from junior high to high school and then to college in perfect rhythm like dancers following the beat of a drum.

Sitting today at this beautiful wedding (third row on the aisle - I snagged a good seat)

back dropped by an emerald ocean, I watch as my two very special friends vow to spend their lives together. Two tribes merging, forming a new. I realize in this moment that the questions I have for myself are different than I thought they would be. I ask myself, do you still feel total connection to your friends even though you are taking different risks at this point in your lives? Do you still feel total love for your friends even if you are not going through the same experiences? Do you still adore your friends even if your paths are different?

All I could think was, "I do. I do. I do."

After so many years of being kept in step by the structure of our daily lives, it is great to know that the comradery, companionship and closeness of our bond is not reliant on any structure at all. It is a feeling that is with us always. We choose to allow the differences in our journeys to bring us together instead of separate us.

After the ceremony (and totally ruining my make-up from crying) we danced. We danced and danced and danced and I felt happy as a clam to have everybody there, exactly where they are, and to be there, exactly where I am, and to feel nothing but pure celebration dancing together to the beat of our favorite songs.