I went to a wedding on Saturday in this place that was absolutely stunning. The ceiling was painted a bright green, the floor was acid washed a rusty brown, the walls were brick with this beautiful plaster to break it up. The outside had geometric shapes with bright blues and metal grasshoppers. A fountain greeted you at the door.
The sky was a sharp shade of this sapphire blue with whips of the purest white clouds. The wind didn't howl, the snow was starting to melt....it was simply the most amazing day to have a wedding.
I normally don't like weddings. In my bitter state I'm left to wonder: "When am I ever going to find that person?" Then I smack my self a little and remind myself I have years to worry about it. All in good time. But this day was different. My dear cousin Aaron was marrying his perfect match, Ellis. Really, I have never seen any couple who compliments each other the way they do. Like they were created specifically for each other, the perfect definition of "soul-mates."
Ellis was breath taking in her gorgeous white dress. The fabric was soft with lace eyelets. Very simple, classy, no-fuss, just like Ellis. You see, this woman is stunning. She has the shiniest blonde hair, the greenest eyes, and the most heart-warming smile I have ever seen....she RADIATED beauty that day.
Aaron was dressed in a crisp black tux with a sandy brown vest. He stood in front of candelabras with ivy dripping down waiting for his soon-to-be. I'm the person who does not look at the bride coming down the aisle (although it was very hard not to stare at Ellis) but the person who stares at the groom. The look on his face will tell you everything you need to know about their relationship even if you never had a clue. And let me tell you...if you could itemize "love"...
It would have been his face.
See, THAT'S what love is. When you dance with your bride for the first time, slower than the tempo... in your own world, staring at her face while softly singing her the song and meaning EVERY word of it. When you forget that your highschool buddies and baby brothers are staring at you and you drop every "badass" wall you had and make that moment YOURS. It was....the most intense moment I had ever seen. I had to look away for it felt like I was intruding on a little secret that they didn't want anyone else to know.
They don't have gooey love where you feel like you get a cavity every time you look at them. they don't have the "are you SURE they just got married"? love whenever they act like two people sitting in fancy clothes. I do believe that they have the PERFECT love where Ellis can be Ellis...and Aaron can be Aaron, and yet they can be Ellis and Aaron without being a burden. I truly believe that THAT is REAL love.
See, I never knew that. I mean my parents have to be the most inlove people I have ever seen, but it is because they have the aforementioned love. I never knew you could be yourself and do your thing without having to ask. I always had to compromise, to sacrifice, to dissolve who I was to fit into what I thought love was. It took me a good 4 years to figure out that's not love, that's slavery. And after awhile, I just couldn't do it anymore. Now I have this standard. Because I have SEEN what REAL love is in that moment she floated down that aisle.
If he doesn't look at you like you're the only one in the room, let him go.
If she doesn't make you feel like you're a man, let her go.
If he doesn't dance like you've heard this song all along, let him go.
If she doesn't tame your heart, let her go.
You have to be yourself. And then you have to learn to be with someone else. But if you find that someone, is that not a lesson worth learning?
To Ellis and Aaron Raymond (and the little joy Madison they have created and who I cannot wait to get here), I know you will have all the happiness both of you deserve. God is going to bless you in SO many ways, it's almost overwhelming yet incredibly exciting to think about. I love you both very, very dearly and I know your new journey is going to be an exciting, blissful one.
Peace, Love, and jelly-rolls.
MissMeredith.
