My sister, the wife

So my sister and Dustin are officially married, off on their honeymoon...what a wild thought; I remember our Middle School days when I used to embarrass her by obnoxiously pointing at boys she thought was cute ("oh, which one, sis? THAT one? Ow! Why'd you hit me??").
My, how time flies. Like Stephanie even said today, we've been engaged for four months already and it feels like I proposed yesterday. I strongly suspect that once we're both graduated in May and the actual nuts and bolts of the wedding planning begins that things will only accelerate even more.

Hmm...1 o'clock already. I guess I should get on with things so I can get some sleep before Easter Week officially kicks off for me tomorrow.

So anyway, back to Milena's wedding. In hindsight, I am struck firstly by how much everyone seemed to enjoy the event, despite the occasional lapses in certain areas I was sure would cause certain members of my family to completely flip out. As far as those go, Steph and I spent a good deal of time on the drive back to her house critiquing the things that needed to be critique and making notes of what we liked and what we would avoid (such as photographers who show up an hour and half late and forget to photograph half of the family, for starters), and what would could improve on. However, minor critiques aside, and independent of what anyone else might think or say, it has to be noted that my sister and Dustin had the time of their lives, and I know they'll be remembering the day fondly for the rest of their lives.

Despite all the headaches that cropped up in the days leading up to and even during Milena's nuptials (being a groomsman and the audio director and the video guy all at the same time is grueling work), I've still got to admit that I love weddings.
The symbolism and the sacredness of the ceremony, all the different layers and meaning behind everything done and said, fill me with a wonder that I can meditate on for hours and not get tired of. I love the fact that a span of time can be so packed with significance, so well leveraged and weighty. It's such a neat counter to the myriad influences in the culture around me that so often pull me towards the superficial.
Rob Bell once did a speaking tour which had for its title "Everything is Spiritual." I never got to hear the talk, but that tagline has been burning holes in my lobes for months since I first heard it. It's a phrase that brings more and more delight to me the more I think about it, and I think the reason it does is because I believe that everything is. Let me point to the opposite of that to illustrate what I mean.
Sometimes, when we don't want to think too deeply about why we did some action, we use the phrase "for the hell of it" to provide a reason for it. Think about this for a minute. What are we really saying? If that's true, if the reality is that there's really no reason or higher purpose behind what we were doing, then what we did was a complete waste of time, and we don't get time back once we've spent it.
I'm not arguing against youthful spontaneity or a simplicity that brings joy; the benefits of those things are obvious, but what do I think is a little sad is when I allow myself to think that the time I spend has no real significance, and in doing so, I miss the chance to enjoy a moment I'm never going to get back. The fact is (and I've said this before), I'm becoming the man I'm going to be for the rest of my life. On my wedding day, nothing is essentially going to change about me. For the most part, I will be the result of the choices I've made up that point. Scary thought, isn't it?

So here's why I love weddings: everything matters in a wedding. There's symbolism everywhere, if you're willing to look for it. The unity candle (or sand). The placement of the officiant in relation to the bride and groom. The wedding ring. These things point to something deeper, and I enjoy it because it's a reminder to me that the time I spend matters beyond this moment.
It's the reason Steph and I couldn't keep our eyes off each other as we stood across the aisle during the ceremony, knowing what it meant for Dustin and my sister and knowing what it will mean for us one day. Everything is spiritual. It's a phrase that reminds me that there is beauty in the mundane, and I'm glad for it, because I tend to forget that it's not all there for the hell of it. ;)