Marriage is what brings us together...

Another friend of mine got married and I am very happy for them. It was a beautiful place and the ceremony so simple and pure and true and that's wonderful.

During the ceremony there was a part left open for people to say things. I thought for a few days and even asked for a dream about what to say, but nothing would come to me. I flipped through Emerson and thought of Gibran and Dickens and even randomly jumped through Dumas looking for some words from Porthos that would be both comical and inspiring to them, but nothing ever made itself known to me. Even as I drove to meet them yesterday, I listened to all of the music in my car looking for some clever way to throw in a quote from Dylan or something but nothing came. So when the moment came, I sat there...

and said nothing...

and though I felt a bit... uncomfortable at my own silence, I hope it didn't make them feel like I had nothing for them in the way of well wishes or good thoughts.

But as I was thinking about it a bit ago I realized why it was that nothing was coming to me.

They already knew.

Though most everyone knows the same good-times-and-bad-times speech and the Apache wedding blessing, they know what lies behind all of that. I think they have both experienced love and love lost before and know what opening yourself up to that level means. They know that the only way to truly love someone is to let them see you for all you are. They know that it is truly to love someone to show them the details of your weaknesses. They may even know that it is OK to pee with the door open (maybe not). But they know enough... more than enough.

So I got nothing but a smile for these two people. They are going to be great together and amazing parents if they so choose.

As I finish this now, however, I realize I do have one blessing for them:

May you come to laugh uncontrollably at each others flatulents at 3 am.