WEDDING WEEK HAS COME AND GONE
Wedding Week has come and gone.
All that remains of months of work are the pictures of a day so filled with beauty, so packed with goodness, so overflowing with love that a sort of mystical halo will forever surround the memories.
I thought I’d share with you some of my favorites:
(photos by my friend Jodi Stilp)
Simona’s mom, Natalia. She radiated joy, peace, serenity, knowing, wisdom, gentleness. She is the softest strong woman I know. A woman who stays in the background serving. A woman who loves with the fierceness of one who has known pain and chosen to embrace grace rather allowing herself to be distorted by bitterness.
(photos by my friend Jodi Stilp)
Scarlet’s march down the aisle way ahead of the other flower girls who were dutifully following instructions to sprinkle rose petals along the way. That look of sheer determination, along with her cousin, Sunday’s look of chagrin (she was supposed to be Scarlet’s keeper, but who can “keep” a girl with that kind of moxy?) started me laughing and set the tone for the entire wedding.
(photos by my friend Jodi Stilp)
John Mark’s little brother jokes. All the formal, Romanian loveliness of the day combined with the hilarity of my preacher-son’s memories of his little brother’s antics had our family laughing out loud and elbowing each other right up to the vows.
(photos by my friend Jodi Stilp)
Matthew’s tears. Gosh…
(photos by my friend Jodi Stilp)
Simona’s vows, which included: “You are my Hans Solo…” slipped in between profound words of commitment and honor. I don’t think she could have said anything that would have cemented Matt’s love for her more. Wise woman, my girl!
(photos by my friend Jodi Stilp)
My dad. Thirty-six years ago he walked me down the aisle, this time I escorted him. Slow, careful, loving the moment and hanging on to some of these last times together. How I wish every girl had a dad like mine.
The dancing. Which was really more of a bunch of grown up children bouncing, laughing, shouting, reveling in shared joy. So wholesome and good. Fun.
(photos by my friend Jodi Stilp)
Rebekah and Steve, John Mark and Tammy, Jude, Moses, Sunday, Brook and Elizabeth, Scarlet, Duke, Phil, me and Simona's whole family… surrounding Matt and Simona with our love and prayer and teasing and support and advice and commitment to be a family. This is the kind of community we are made for, the kind we are called to bring to the church and to the world. Imperfect but faithful.
And I feel a little bit of what God felt all those millennium ago… when He rested… and saw that it was good.
Not perfect, but good. Very good.
From a heart at rest,
Diane