Canada Saga 2008 July 31

"Deep peace of the Running Wave To You" (Gaelic Blessing)

All waves are all like that in the end, having spent their fury or their gentle ripple, returning to a Shore that has been awaiting them for eternity. The froth of  passion breaking on rocks; the joyous whitecaps skittering in dance to the music of a playful blow; the swells rolling mournfully to the dirge of a howling wind; a lifetime of surges, bellows, storms, sweet calm:  the undercurrent of peace passes through the ocean of life below them all.

Each person who joined us during the wedding week came with their own lifetime of rolling waves, storms, joys and calm.  Looking around the sea of faces at the wedding and reception, I saw the stories of us all - and the hopes for love and happiness that everyone held in their hearts for Brett and Stephanie.  No doubt some were reliving their own experiences, as Michael and I remembered our own ceremony those short 40 years ago, and the adventures - and misadventures - of our precious child in his growing.  "Is this the little boy I carried?  Is this the little girl at play?  I don't remember growing older; when did they?"  Brett and Stephanie's grandparents once stood as lovingly committed to each other a blink-of-an-eye ago, then stood at some time each cradling one of these precious children in infancy,  and stood with us now, on this lovely rise above Lopez Sound, their unseen presence embracing their progeny with that same love.

Family and friends gathered from afar on tiny Lopez Island, coming from England and Scotland and points North, South, East and West in North America, a delightful array of peerage and peers and Presences of love, joy and support.  Michael's sister and husband drove their grand-daughters from Baton Rouge, through what will be memories for a lifetime for these two small girls.  Lady Jane and Paul flew from England, and one of Brett's groom 'chicas' came from her acting gig in Scotland.  So many came from so far to stand together and witness the vows, spoken by the bride and groom, but echoed in the hearts of all who were there.

There are details of the week to write about, too many for a short summer Saga.  From the initial casual dinner on Sunday where two families first merged, to the wedding on Friday where two young people emerged as one couple committed in love before family and friends, there were activities and adventures non-stop.  Hiking, seal-watching, eagle-spotting, boat rides, a mid-week multi-family co-mingling barbecue, mini-family gatherings and a few rare moments of chill-time made the week go by quickly.  The extra events gave us all time to meet and greet the people who will be part of Brett and Stephanie's lives together, to put faces with the names of the stories we've heard over the years, to learn more of who these young people are by meeting those who have helped shape their lives.

Stephanie and Brett set the tone for the joy, love and friendship of the week by seeming to be everywhere at once, totally at ease with each other and the dual families that delighted in their attention.  "Team work," Brett said at one point, as they split up and worked the crowded deck of the barbecue.  We watched the team-work as the incredible efforts of their friends got the tent put up, the dance floor set, the lights strung, the lanterns hung, the luminaries set out and lit, and turned this magical spot on Lopez into a wedding wonderland.  On cue, a sailboat anchored in the Sound below us and the sun came out mid-afternoon, glittering the water and spreading a blanket of light over the setting to the gentle chords of "Simple Gifts," played by Brett's aunt and his 12 year old cousin.

"Tis a gift to be simple; tis a gift to be free, 'tis the gift to come down where we ought to be...and when we find ourselves in the place just right, 'Twill be in the valley of love and delight."  The lyrics, unsung,  hung softly in the air. 

So much work had gone into creating this moment.  Stephanie and Brett's vision had become the perfect reality, with the tremendous help of her parents and their willingness and joy in turning over their home to all of us.  The gardens glowed with multi-hued flowers; the tables sparkled with their white tablecloths and perfect place-settings, and an air of holy festivity settled on the gathering in the cool afternoon.

As we sat quietly, each with our own thoughts and emotions, we all said "I do," by our simple Presence.  "I do" to the love of family, and the commitment to support this new fledgling flame of promised love;  "I do" to the hopes, not just of this wedding on this day, but to the eternal quest for the freedom of leaving self behind and becoming One;  "I do" to the endurance of travels and travails throughout our lifetime of faith in partnership with each other;  "I do", in the acknowledgement that, like the waves, we do not dwell long individually, but forever enter the deeper mystery of Union;  "I do," ultimately, to life, with all of its awes and woes and wonders.

To my darling son and new daughter-in-love: I see you holding hands above Lopez Sound, the brilliance of the afternoon a pale reflection of the glow on your faces, the tears in your eyes, Brett, matching my own.  Life is like this: you will never know the joy you gave, as it was hopefully given to you;  you will never know the example you set, as it was hopefully set for you;  you will never completely understand the love that rippled out from your quiet exchange of vows, love, gentle affection and sweet laughter.  What we do know is that it is the Oneness, larger than any two. 

"Deep peace of the Flowing Air to you;

 Deep peace of the Quiet Earth to you;

 Deep peace of the Shining Stars to you;

 Deep peace of the Gentle Night to you;

 Moon and Stars pour their healing light on you;

 Deep peace to you..."

I love you both.

YAY GOD

Canada Saga 2008 July 7

"There is always some mysterious wind, shaking the tapestry that veils the mysteries of life.  This wind can lift that tapestry.  It can lift you...and carry your soul across the sky.  Where does it come from, this wind?  And where does it go?"  (Tom Cowan)

Weddings, of course, create their own tapestry in this lovely mystery of life.  Michael and I have spent the last weekend on Lopez Island, mostly just enjoying the generous hospitality of Stephanie's parents, Bruce and Marcia, while tending to some details surrounding the July 25th event. 

It was also, of course, a time to get to know these people who will be such a significant part of the lives of Brett and Stephanie as they create a future together. They have done an incredible amount of work to make sure that the setting is idyllic, the garden colorful, that everyone will be comfortable and the wedding itself memorable for all of us. The whole gift is tied up and laced with the colorful strands of the love of parents for their daughter. 

Bruce set his crab pot for the first time this season, and treated us to some steamed dungenesse crab Saturday evening, as we opened champagne and toasted the new direction in the lives of our children.  We figured that between the two couples, Brett and Stephanie have 73 years of experience to draw on in their own adventure, and there was a moment of freedom in the realization that a part of our own journey was coming to a close, as a new moment in theirs was opening.

In the overcast evening that followed, we watched out over the edge of the lawn where the wedding will take place, as a rainbow-sliver touched one of the distant islands across the water. The sliver grew into a stunning huge arc of color, as a misty double appeared behind it, the new outshining the old.  In the moments that followed, the setting sun Van-Goghed another small island with a glowing soft orange, kindling for night dreams.  

The following morning, I sat outside on the now-quiet deck, overlooking the sloping lawn that in less than 3 weeks will be crowded with family, friends and loved-ones.  The only sounds now, though, were herons, song-birds,the occasional hummingbird drawn to the English-cottage garden that Marcia has been so lovingly-tending, and the sputtering motor of a lone fishing boat as it moved through the channels between the islands.  Bubble-wrap clouds enfolded the precious treasure of this priceless morning.  Soon Abbey and Cody, the family labs, would come bounding out to greet me with their infectious joy, welcoming me with unconditional love into their world. 

But for the moment, I was left with a mother's reflections and memories and anticipations.  Years ago, before other life events colored my own tapestry, I might have been more inclined to wonder along worry-lines: have we done everything to prepare Brett for this next leap into adulthood? will Stephanie realize how much we love her and be comfortable in our family? what will the future hold for these two? will they be alright?   But earth-time is a wonderful thing, and as much pain as we have endured to get to this place, we now realize that events will unfold for them, as they have for us: perfectly.  There will be moments of pure love and joy, moments of boredom, moments of deep sorrow and pain, moments where love will be tested and strengthened.  Through all of this, they will be companions. 

And in the midst of these ruminations, a mother turkey and her two young ones wandered through the yard, grazing warily, aware of my presence but not frightened enough to change their course.  They were comical to watch, with their awkward neck-straining and jerky movements, so unlike the eagles we had watched from the charming Bay Cafe the night before, gliding over the water with fish in their talons, at home and at ease in their element.   I'm sure there are metaphors here for life and marriage with their turkey and eagle moments.  For now,  I'll only say that there will be times for both, and each will have its place.

Through them all, we are as real as a breath in the wind of God, walking through this Psalm of life. In the midst of the old growth forest of this part of the world, craning my neck to watch the filtered light as it drops softly around me, the spiritual teachings of the saints and mystics who have walked this holy earth before us arise like the tall cedars and redwoods.  I feel like the tiny fern snuggled at the roots of the trees, gently responding to an imperceptible movement in the air.  "Where does it come from, this wind?  And where does it go?"

It sweeps along, generation to generation, through commitments of loving ritual.  Those who provide us with opportunities to witness their own passage into this love remind us of the ever-renewing love in our own lives. They give us a window down through past generations of ancestors who stand beside them now and repeat ancient vows through our words.  And if, as Henry Vaughan says, each oak and bush doth know I AM, then surely each word spoken in this setting of Love, carries that great I AM, radiant, out into the world. This is the Love that lifts the tapestry and carries our souls across the sky.  It brings us double-rainbows at dusk and grazing turkeys at dawn, and weaves all of our loves in patterns we cannot see this side of heaven. 

YAY GOD