Wedding belles, part 2

The wedding was amazing. Absolutely and utterly breathtaking. The ceremony was appropriately spiritual, my reading went well, the food was delectable, the guests were beautiful and the grooms were attractive and well-spoken.

The best part of the ceremony was when the boys recited their own vows. Not a dry eye within four city blocks, my friends … including mine. I was talking to Paul’s friend Ann, who flew in from California for the wedding, and we were saying how so many times you leave a wedding, and you start taking bets on how long it will last. Yet with them, we really viewed yesterday as a continuation of the journey — a milestone to be marked for Bryan and Paul.

Paul told the story of how they met — rather, of how love takes its own course. They met near the museum where they were married. What if they had crossed the street in different places, if they did not see each other on the sidewalk? It was a wonderful lesson in taking the time to make sure that you realize that the love of your life could be two feet from you at any given time, and you need to be aware that the person who will change your life is literally within arm’s reach, so don’t miss out. They spoke of weathering the course together, of learning from each other, of Paul picking up a paintbrush and writing poetry — things he may never have done, had Bryan not encouraged him to do so because those were passions of Bryan’s own (aside to readers: Paul has become an amazing artist and poet — you’d never think he hadn’t been doing those things all his life!).

Personally, I absolutely fell in love with their families and friends. I was continually amazed how many people approached me and said, “So YOU’RE the Dawn I’ve been hearing so much about! I’m glad to finally have a face to put with all the stories!” And likewise, the same was true in their cases. One thing I have always loved about the boys is how POSITIVE they are to be around — how every encounter, every outing, every conversation becomes a cherished memory for them. Every photo they show me has a story behind it — the fragrance in the air, the taste of the food, the shape of the clouds in the sky, the crazy discussion that had been taking place prior to the flash going off.

You simply cannot have these boys in your life and not be touched by the significance and wonder of absolutely everything around them … and you. I am a better person for knowing them, and I have been so enriched by us being a part of each other’s courses in life.

There’s so much more to say, but I’d like to keep pondering, keep smiling, keep laughing out loud at silly moments as well as significant ones. But I will close on a note from the boys’ toast at the reception — they thanked us for making a special day an ordinary one as well. Instead of us thinking for a second that what they were doing was off-the-wall or inappropriate, we viewed it as an ordinary, expected ritual for two people in love — we did not treat it as anything more or less — we got dressed up and spent the day together in the most loving of ways. And someday, gay marriage will, in fact, be ordinary, and we can focus only on celebrating special people who fall in love, just like we did yesterday.

For those of you out there who are celebrating my friends and your friends just like them, thank you for fighting the good fight with us. 🙂

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