| June Weddings
by Gary Anderson
(From the book Spider’s Big Catch) by Gary E. Anderson
www.abciowa.com
As June wraps its arms around us like the warm hug of a favorite
aunt, I begin to think about weddings. I've been a musician
for thirty years, and I've played at scores of weddings and
receptions, sometimes more than once for the same person.
It was a way to make a living—the money was good and
there was usually decent food.
As a wedding soloist, I’d sit off to the
side, watching brides in white dresses and grooms in rented
tuxedos promise to love each other forever. But somehow, I
couldn’t shake a sadness that always hung over me as
I watched, knowing that one in every two marriages will fail.
I can’t explain it, but over the years,
I developed an eye for knowing whether a couple was going
to make it or not. There was just something about the way
the bride and groom related to each other—the look in
their eyes and their body language—that offered clues
as to how their marriage was going to turn out.
Then one afternoon, while our band was playing
for a large reception in a small town ballroom, I casually
looked across the vast sea of people. My glance moved from
table to table, until I saw the bride and groom, sitting alone
in a corner. They were sitting in total ease, holding hands,
saying nothing.
Her flowing white dress and his tuxedo seemed
out of place, but their happiness and comfort with each other
was totally apparent. There was no question that those two
people belonged together. They would’ve been sitting
there in those same two chairs, still holding hands in exactly
the same way, if they’d been wearing blue jeans and
overalls at someone else’s reception.
They were at a party, to be sure—a big,
loud party. But the party was really for the benefit of everyone
else in attendance. They were totally comfortable just sitting
in their corner, out of the limelight, watching the people
they loved having a good time.
As cynical as I’d become over the years,
something struck me at that moment as I watched that couple.
I realized that weddings actually represent the triumph of
the human spirit. Every marriage is a public statement by
two people, letting the whole world know that together, they
choose to believe that their union will be the one-in-two
that lasts.
When thought of in that way, every wedding really
symbolizes a victory of hope—in the face of all odds.
Sure, it’ll take all their courage and strength to succeed,
but no matter what, couples continue to try.
They know the statistics are against them—but
they look straight into the eyes of the odds makers and say,
“So what?”
And why not? Throughout history, people have
staked their fortunes, and sometimes their very lives, on
less than a 50-50 chance.
Maybe that’s why we hold so many weddings
in the month of June. It’s a month that can be unpredictable—full
of warmth and promise one minute, and then suddenly becoming
stormy and filled with uncertainty.
As for me, since seeing that couple, holding
hands at their reception, I’ve begun singing my wedding
solos with a renewed hope—embodied by two people at
the altar, vowing to face their future together, in spite
of overwhelming odds.
© 2004. Gary E. Anderson. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Weddings, marriage, family, parenting,
inspiration, motivation
About the Author
Gary Anderson, Elgin, Iowa, USA
abciowa@alpinecom.net
http://www.abciowa.com
Gary Anderson is a freelance writer, editor, ghostwriter,
and manuscript analyst, living on a small Iowa farm. He’s
published more than 500 articles and four books. He’s
also ghosted a dozen books, edited more than 30 full-length
manuscripts, produced seven newsletters, and has done more
than 800 manuscript reviews for various publishers around
the nation. If you need writing or editing help, visit Gary’s
website at www.abciowa.com.
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