My heart was touched deeply last night. A beautiful friend, RF came up to me, gave me a hug and said, “I love your words and following your journey as you get ready to marry C.C.” And he went on to tell me how through my words, he feels hope, like the possibility of love is out there, shimmering and calling for him too.

And my heart flowed over.

It is my dream. My desire. My heartfelt wish that my words inspire others to see the possibility of ‘more’ in their lives too.

As I waited for a session to begin at the Champions for Change conference I am attending this week, a woman came up to me to ask if I would be the keynote speaker at the major fund-raiser this fall. “Your story is inspiring and I think it would fit our event perfectly.”

And my heart flowed over.

It is my dream. My desire. My heartfelt wish that my words inspire others to see the possibility of ‘more’ in their lives too.

In 2003 when I was released from that relationship that was killing me, I couldn’t imagine that those events would lead me to such grace and love in my life today. Yet, they form a part of my story today. They inform my actions, my thoughts and my words. They are not my whole story, they are part of the journey I’ve taken to here. Right now. This place where the darkness that was then is illuminated by the light of my life today showing me, and others, that darkness exists but it is not the entirety of our days. It is not all there is.

The light shines brightest in the dark.

Like a watercolour artist, we need the darkness to illuminate the light. We need the contrast to see the depth and beauty of all the colour. Not just some of it. All of it.

In a week plus a day, C.C. and I will become ‘husband and wife’.

I know our lives aren’t suddenly, miraculously going to change. They don’t have to. Our lives are rich and full today. Our life today is a beautiful tapestry of family and friends and joy and laughter woven together in Love.

The change that will happen is deeper. Much deeper. It is a belly change. A deep-seated place of knowing within me that we are committed, for life, to love and nurture and support and honour one another. We are committed to standing in the broken places, together, and not seeing only the wreckage of our last fight or disagreement, but also  the possibility of growth from where we stand and step forward together.

This is a forever kind of place to be. A no stepping back from this edge because at this edge when we leap, we fly together. And when my wings falter, his breath will pick me up. And when his tire, my breath will give him strength. Like geese flying in formation, we will continually shift positions, offer support and encourage one another to keep flying forward, together.

As we commit through marriage to love deep and true, we will continue to encourage each another to keep seeking the higher good in ourselves and the other. To keep loving one another exactly the way we are, right now, because loving one another in this space is where we find the strength to keep flying beyond the “I do” into the mystery, wonder and magic of the ‘more’ of being married to one another.