Sanctuary from the Wind

I was in a wedding this weekend.

Therefore I feel like I should write either something profound about marriage and commitment or just merely document the silly stuff, like how my daughter thought my bright pink bridesmaid dress made me look like a cake. Or a beehive.

Although I don’t think beehives come in fuchsia so I'm gonna go with the cake.

The wedding was outdoors and because of hurricane force winds, had to be held in a tent. Have you ever been in a tent during 40mph winds? It isn’t exactly romantic. Frightening may be a better description.

Yet the bride and groom beamed through it all as the tent creaked, flapped, and threatened to collapse on the nuptials and earn the wedding some unwelcomed publicity on the ten o'clock news. (I tried to strategically stand away from a support beam as I really didn't want to be on the news looking like a bleeding beehive.)

Having been married, very awfully married, I try not to be cynical at weddings. Especially when I’m dressed in pink and holding hydrangeas. I am a romantic person at heart so of course I want to believe I am witnessing the beginning of someone’s happily ever after, the end of a fairy tale that has only truly just begun.

So I’m standing there, my feet aching in 4 inch stilettos, hoping the tent holds up, while watching my friend in her Monique Ihuillier dress, complete with Swarovski crystal belt, and I find myself wondering how this couple is going to handle the winds of life: How will they do the first time their “someday” newborn screams for three days straight from an ear infection? What about baby barf, bills and a distant future where boredom may invade the bedroom? What about job loss, death in the family, or daunting diagnosis?

For the storms come to everyone, howl around our shelters and try to break inside and ruin our perfect plans. For no matter how fancy the dress, impressive the flowers, or entertaining the band at the wedding dance, ultimately marriage is just about building the kind of foundation that can weather the storms when they descend.

I smile to myself as I realize this is a very fitting beginning, this crazy windy circumstance. For as hard as the wind whipped, screamed, and yelled, it did not break in. The tent held. The couple smiled. And the beginning of a life long journey was sealed with a kiss.

May this be the metaphor on which they build their future. Let them construct a strong sanctuary where they can huddle together as the winds of life blow all around them.

And never collapse their union.

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"I do to the future!" Congratulations my dear friends!! I couldn't resist commenting on that wind situation . . . it made for a great story and will always be something you will remember about your wedding day. I wanted to tie to something beautiful. So when the "winds of life" blow, just remember: that tent didn't collapse on May 22, 2010.

And may your marriage be the same: strong and sheltering, forever and always.

~Audra