getting married in your 60s

: Morning on the Naramata Bench

: The view from Lang Vineyards – spectacular!

: At the waterfront in Naramata

: Morning light

: The view from where I sit

I checked the weather forecast for Saturday this morning.

Bad idea.

The outlook is cloudy, not too warm, 80% chance of showers.

And then, Alexis showed me another forecast from a different website.

Much better.

15 degrees Celsius. 20% chance of showers.

Like that a whole lot better!

Yesterday, they predicted rain all morning.

No rain, at any time of the day and 4 degrees warmer than the forecast.

I’m so glad they can’t get the weather right! But then, there is no wrong for the weather. Nothing can really rain on my parade for Saturday. My heart will be bright and sunny and the world all sparkly as C.C. and I say our vows to one another in front of our family and friends.

When I went to pick up the marriage license yesterday, I think the woman serving me at the BC Services office might have thought I might be on something! I couldn’t quit grinning and smiling. But then, by the time we were finished, neither could she! 🙂

Love is in the air and I am embraced by its beauty, casting off ripples of joy all around me!

Alexis and I spent the day the best way a mother and daughter can. Wandering the streets of a small town/city, in and out of shops, trying on weird and wonderful hats, laughing, enjoying each other’s company. And then, lunch at a vineyard overlooking the lake, sharing a bowl of soup and the best potato pancakes ever and a glass of Pinot Gris. We did an impromptu wine tasting at 2 vineyards along the way back and picked up treats for when C.C. and my youngest daughter and her boyfriend arrive. We reveled in the beauty of this place, the joy of being together and the anticipation of the festivities unfolding.

Later, after the other’s arrived, Alexis finished off a University assignment and the four of us played Euchre and chatted back and forth. I think Liseanne calls it ‘smack talk’ — when C.C. waxes eloquent on how they’re going to win with their card-playing prowess only to lose the hand!

This morning, the skies are cloud, grey clouds hanging low over the hills on the other side of the lake. And my heart is light.

I am getting married in two days! I’ve come a long way baby!

All is well with my world from where I sit by the window looking out at the world. In my heart, breath expands in ever increasing circles of love and joy. All is well with my world.

SOURCE

A friend asked me the other day what it was like getting married now, versus when I was younger.

I know me better, I said. I know what I want and I am consciously creating. When I was younger, I just sort of went along with the whole process, not really thinking about ‘what are the feelings I want to evoke, what is the tone/mood/ambience I want to embrace our guests’. What do I want to remember and what do I want people to remember from our wedding? About us? About possibility? Love? Marriage?

What I want to remember is that it’s all about LOVE. It’s expression. It’s presence. It’s many gifts.

I want to remember that this day was all about FAMILY. It’s expression. It’s presence. It’s many gifts.

All four of our children will be present. All four will be part of the ceremony, contributing their words and voices, their love and beauty. They are standing up with us. My daughters will walk down the aisle with me, C.Cs son and daughter will walk down the aisle with him. And we will all six stand together. While two of them witness our signatures on the marriage certificate, the other two will be singing a duet.

It’s all about FAMILY. My two sisters and their husbands will be there. Some of C.C.s siblings will be there as well as nephews and nieces. Even a great nephew!

It’s all about FRIENDS. Coming together, enjoying each other’s company. It’s about how we share from our hearts. How we laugh and dance and sing and tell stories on one another and share moments worth remembering and even, sometimes, reminding each other of the one’s we’d rather forget — but hey! Friends keep us humble.

It’s all about FUN. We are lighthearted and we want this day to be lighthearted. To be light-filled and heartfelt. We want people to feel the possibilities and the expansiveness of Love embracing them every moment of the day, lifting their spirits and opening their hearts.

And, it’s all about US. C.C. and me. It’s about the love we share. The beauty of our communion, the gifts of our union. It’s about how we complement one another. How we strengthen each other and how we support each other, in good times and in bad. It’s about being each other’s best friend, cheerleader, confidant and lover. It’s about deepening in love, every single day, with every breath we take.

It’s all about us and the memories we create on this day and every day that sparkle in the light of each new day rising.

Am I excited? Hell ya!

🙂