I am writing this post from the jiggly interior of an Air Mexico 737, bouncing its way to Toronto. I’m not great with turbulence, as a matter of fact I am not great with flying, so turbulence just enhances my nervousness. And I get restless leg syndrome; does anyone else encounter this, flying or not? Mine seems to be almost exclusively when flying and it is ever so annoying, compelling me to move my legs and feet almost constantly. Some flights are worse than others and this is one of them; probably because I’ve been traveling all day and am not hydrated enough. And we were an hour late getting off the runway on the connection in Mexico City, so it is a long day indeed….
Wow, turbulence, restless legs, dehydration, late flights; I feel like I am so whingey when in fact here I am returning from a lovely, albeit short, vacation in a beautiful resort in Cabo. With a family wedding in the midst of it all! Truly, I have many blessings!
And weddings! I don’t know about you, but I had gone a long, long time without attending a wedding until last year. I would look longingly at suggestions for wedding guest attire, thinking how beautiful the clothes were and imagining guests all prettied up celebrating a loved ones nuptials. For a while there we were calling family funerals family reunions as it seemed like that was the only time we were gathering in large numbers. And even at that Covid made some of those celebrations of life events diminished in attendee numbers. So how wonderful that, thanks to the aging and maturing of our family offspring, the next generation is entering the marriage phase of life and tying the knot in the presence of family and fortunate friends.
It started with Emily, my sweet well-adjusted middle child, and Francois marrying in France last July. It was a 4-day affair, bringing together guests from North America, the UK and Europe. And it proved with the right amount of love, creativity, patience, and determination people who don’t have a language in common can still find a way to communicate and jointly celebrate wedding happiness. What a wonderful week that was as we came together for meals, wine tours, games all wrapped in the joy of being together.
September saw my cousin Shane and Ryan his long time, perfectly matched partner tie the knot in an upscale event in downtown Toronto. I met Ontario cousins I didn’t know (don’t be surprised, there are A LOT of us) and Claire and I covered as each others’ plus 1, dancing the night away with an enthusiastic group of guests of all ages and stages of life. This ceremony made me truly emotional on a level bigger than the joy of seeing two people love each other get married: I was moved that I live in a country who puts no impediment in the way of just that. Regardless of gender, love and commitment it is just that so wonderful to see a couple be able to commit to each other in a legal ceremony that “they do” until death does them part.
And how about Sarah and Connor’s surprise wedding this past Easter weekend in Ottawa? The excitement that swept over the room when it was announced that an engagement party invite was just a ruse to get us all together and that a wedding was about to happen was unforgettable. Strangers smiled at each other, friends laughed with each other, family members embraced as we absorbed this happy bombshell and made our way into the adjacent room to prepare for the main event. And again, thanks to the magic of a talented deejay, Claire and I danced until the clock told us we were a few hours into the next day.
And now this, a much-anticipated wedding in Cabo that saw my sister- cousin Karen and her husband Matthew, who I affectionately call Big Love, walk their first born son Hayden into marriage with the lovely Haylie. Together for years we were happy when they announced their engagement and then excited to have a tropical destination to make our way to for the event. And in the process enjoyed several days and many meals together, a chance for family to reunite (without a coffin in sight!) and new friends to be made.
So there, after an absence of weddings I have put on my finery (or as fine as it can be when one is minimally making their way from place to place- I always hope the dramatic earrings show a special effort was intended!) for 4 weddings in ten months. Wowzer. It is comfortable and strange all at the same time. Comfortable because it is obvious that our generation of babies has grown up; after all, I have seen it, been part of it, born witness to milestones being passed. And strange because how is it possible that these children, who were little not that long ago- playing on the beach together, giggling their way through cherished holiday reunions and even sometimes, annoying each other as if they were siblings, how can it be that they are all fully grown up, living their independent lives, setting off on career and lifestyle adventures. And getting married! Sitting with two other women of my generation two nights ago, watching happy wedding guests whoop it up on the dance floor, I turned to my companions and reflected- ‘We have become our mothers.’ Somehow, just like that, we had become a trio of onlooking participants, enjoying it all from the sidelines. So not only are the kids in their next phase of life but so are their parents. Gheesh. Another wonder.
Time marches on, and sometimes even whips by, leaving us a little bewildered in its aftermath. But truly, how lucky am I to have lived long enough to witness these four great celebrations? And as mentioned, it is a BIG family so hopefully there’s at least another four in the future. If there are, I have the earrings ready. 😊
Posting this from Burlington, Ontario where I rolled into bed after 2am, ground down from a long day of traveling. And thus a new chapter in my nomadic life opens.
xo