Camouflage and Pink

Let me preface this by saying, that evening, I saw two shooting stars.

I recently went to a wedding of a lifelong friend of mine.
She has been a good friend of mine since seventh grade.

The service was small with just family,
I only attended the reception.

They had to get married in another state because they were two women.
I saw a shooting star on the way to the event.

We arrived at the reception late due to a long work day, fighting amongst the family, a discussion of gay marriage and the children, and a variety of other unimportant things.

The wedding was just perfect. No other way to put it.
Her parents live on acreage with a huge out building that typically holds a horse corral.
The reception was held in the outbuilding, with a rainbow dance floor, a bar, a dj and lights and material draping every corner of the place, erasing utility and replacing it with grace.
Everyone was wearing jeans, and boots, and warm sweaters. They all looked impressively casual yet dressed up. The atmosphere was more relaxed and jovial then I am used to at a wedding.

I had to leave too early due to restless children and a tired husband. It made me terribly sad to go.

On the way home family piled into the truck, I saw another shooting star…
I thought to myself at that moment “that was the most amazing wedding I have ever been to”.

Then I wondered why, why had it been so impressionable on me.
I realized today it was because I had witnessed true love in the rawest sense of true love. So often I see marriage of comfort, or convenience, or enjoyment, or social norm, or a variety of other reasons.

People sleep around and college, then sleep with someone they enjoy, then date that person for a long period of time because they enjoy each other, then down the aisle they go. They have kids, and games, and parties, and jobs and find themselves thinking true love is not practical or realistic as a part of life. It is hardly the set up for love so true it hurts.

If you asked 20 of these couples if they had found their soul mate, how many would answer yes?

If you asked 20 of these couple if they would give up everything imaginable, any comfort they have built to be with this one person, how many would walk away?

If you asked…

What would happen if you could never talk to this person again?
Would all 40 say, I couldn’t go on?

My guess is no. I could be wrong, but my guess is no.

I am certain my friend found her soul mate, the love of her life, the one that introduced her to who she is.

I have watched her for years struggle with intimacy and love. She never could find a guy that she could connect with. She always seemed alone.

Then she found a friend. A friend like no other friend she had ever known. I could tell something had changed because she was more confident, more relaxed. Everyone started telling her she looked great. It is amazing the change that occurs when you are introduced to who you really are.

Then her and her friend fell in love. It was impractical and forbidden and it was incredibly risky. They had to risk loss of friends, and family, and coworkers, not to mention making a choice that has societal impact as well. All of this did not matter, because they were in love.

Don’t get me wrong. The two of them argue, and debate, and drive each other crazy. But each of them knows that the other is willing to give up anything to be together.

So I attended the most amazing wedding…. Let me preface this by saying that evening, I saw two shooting stars.