The day was just perfect. Drew and I drove from Connecticut up through Massachusetts and Vermont and over into New Hampshire, a lovely 2 1/2 hour drive under dreamy skies of swirling white and light blue (yes, its totally possible to navigate through four states in less than 3 hours!). Summer had spread over the hills and mountains her skirt of green brocade in every imaginable hue from bushes so pale they looked almost white to pine trees so dark they looked black. The vibrant green grass in the meridian was splattered with bright yellow dandelions. Here and there white allysium crept over a stone wall or across a meadow. It was glorious.
The feast was held at the Jesses Restaurant in Lebanon, a quaint log cabin structure with appealingly appropriate decor including an enormous moose head (we stopped and took a picture of a road sign that said "Moose Crossing"), bear skins, red lanterns, hanging canoes and all sorts of rustic klediments. It was a simple, elegant, understated time of celebration with family and close friends that the couple told us they felt would make their earlier wedding ceremony complete. They had married earlier in Janice's home with just family around for personal reasons.
I haven't encountered many weddings of couples in mid age who have discovered someone special with whom they desire to begin anew. If the wedding feast is any indication of the marriage, it will be quite remarkable. When things didn't go according to the program, they just quietly adjusted and took things as they unfolded - a most enviable approach to life. First we had time to meet other family and friends over a cool drink. Then my Dad blessed the meal and we all broke bread together, enjoying the fabulous foods - teraki chicken, grilled salmon, succulent beef. I was fortunate to be sitting next to the bride's sister, and caught a glimpse of what life has been for Janice.
We watched as Janice's granddaughter Morgan, with a little coaxing to overcome her sudden case of shyness, began the simple sharing by walking the couple to the front of the room, scattering flower petals to brighten their path. The couple expressed how their children and grandchildren are very much a part of their union, and gave gifts from their hearts as tokens of their love. We absorbed the words spoken by all who were willing to share, blessing the couple in thought and song, remembering good times, speaking of how knowing these precious people has enriched their lives. Some of the most touching and significant words were spoken by Janice's son Michael who affectionately calls my brother Pa, and who shared how much my brother has come to mean to him.
Our time together, this celebration of life and love, ended as pleasantly and quietly as it began. It is an afternoon I will treasure for a long time to come - seeing my brother so happy late in life, knowing his path will be eased and his heart filled with joy and laughter. I envy him the gentle touches, the close hugs, the meaningful looks, the deep kisses they shared so openly with us. Fortunate indeed are two souls who find each other amidst life's pain.
Somehow the long drive home was peaceful. Drew slept part of the way, and I had my music to listen to. Wonderment turns through my mind at having witnessed such tender companionship. I know so few couples who truly appreciate each other. I always knew my brother was unique. I am not surprised that his gentle nurturing self has found its niche.
Below I include the thoughts I shared with them (they had asked everyone to bring a writing, a poem, a memory to share).
I have known Peter for 54 years, and thought perhaps I would share a bit of what it was like growing up with Peter. Here are a few memories that I hope capture something of the way things were:
Dear Janice;
I bequeath to you my brother Peter - Peter Samuel,
-my prematurely born brother who, though he lost his twin brother at birth and his sight was impaired by the efforts to save his life, has turned out to be a man of rare maturity, a man of enviable insight.
-my precocious brother who, at the age of 2, bopped me over the head with a can of spinach and sent me flying head over teakettle off the front porch steps in my baby carriage.
-my daring brother who, in grade school, performed amazing acrobatics on his bicycle once too often, wiping out and chipping his front tooth.
-my inventive brother who, in high school, built a computer in his bedroom before computers barely existed. The floor of his bedroom was so littered with capacitors, wires, electrodes and the like that you couldn't see the rug.
-my genius brother who was so smart that college was too boring to bother with and who preferred to spend his time hiking the Appalachian Trail, learning through experience and exploration.
-my coordinated brother who once found himself hanging upsidedown from the front seat of his jeep after he negotiated a turn just a bit too wide to avoid a construction truck.
-my tenderhearted brother, whose green thumb is legendary and around whom animals flourish. You should ask him sometime about a black border collie named Mollie.
-my gifted and talented brother whose writing touches the tender places of your soul and whose photos capture worlds fast becoming invisible or disappearing altogether.
-my shy brother who is at this moment shrinking with embarrassment and whom I love and appreciate a great deal.
It is with solemn joy that I share my supportive older brother with you, a woman who has seen beyond his gruff exterior and has recognized him for who he really is – kind, loyal, sensitive, honest, and caring.
On this occasion of the celebration of your marriage, I wish for you a romance so classic that people will remark on its unusual and enduring qualities for generations to come.
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