When life doesn’t unfold according to plan, the strong among us simply make a new plan, even if a once-in-a-lifetime dream has been shot down.
Early in 2020, we received a “save the date” for an upcoming wedding, and looked forward to it, knowing it would be a big, happy event. We had watched these two grow up. Joe and Katherine were, in the beginning, one of those unlikely couples — the studious, quiet, high achieving girl, the rowdy, unpredictably hilarious, life-of-any-party guy.
Perfect match
The longer they dated, the realization that they were surprisingly perfect for one another began to dawn on all of us. Kat, who already simply seemed perfect, says that Joe made her a better person. Joe, it was clear, knew that he was a lucky man, wanting to share his life with this treasure.
With both enjoying successful careers as engineers, 2020 looked to be a year for growth and putting down roots. Together they bought a farm, and we all looked forward with excitement to the wedding at their new home.
New plan
Then COVID-19 unleashed its storm. With kindness and wisdom, Joe and Kat made the hard decision to cancel the big wedding and married in a quiet ceremony instead. Our new “save the date” was for a one-year wedding anniversary party. And what a great party it was!
In many ways, the gathering this past weekend seemed the perfect celebration. Our joy for the bride and groom carried us through dismal 2020 and continued to grow as we all looked forward to this happy event.
Celebration
Greeting the bride in her lovely gown and her handsome groom in his blue suit made all of the sadness we’d felt when we heard we all would miss their wedding fall away. It could not have been a more perfect celebration.
I looked around this celebratory group and thought of all the sadness and heartache our kids and their large circle of friends have encountered in their young lives. They have remained strongly connected to one another through too many tragedies to count here in our tight-knit community.
As I wiped a tear while watching Joe and Kat’s wedding vows on the big screen, I realized once again that sharing in life’s happy moments is what heals, connects, moves us forward. There is new life and great hope in shared joy, and what an enormous gift that is for all of us.
