This is for my Aunt Arlene & Uncle Martin who just got married! Finally!
It has been a long wait for both of them but it was worth every second of patience and prayer.
Image by Zaccy Colmenares
What is the face of love?
It is ageless..
It is timeless..
It is boundless..
It is beautiful!
..It is a 55 year old man, with tears in his eyes, waiting at the altar for his 10 year love to say the vow with him. It is the 48 year old woman walking down the aisle to join his Man, ready to say her 'I do'.
..It is a Father enduring sickness and pain, faithfully doing physical therapy for months to get up and walk her daughter down the aisle and give her away.
Photo by Rob & Delia Abernethy
..It is a Mother standing behind his teary-eyed son as he opens his heart to another chance at love. It is the Children supporting their Father as he commits himself to another person.
..It is sisters and brothers working together, running here and there, and tapping connections to get things done. It is relatives from distant places taking part in the ceremony to show their love and support.
..It is family and friends who turned into family getting together to make a wedding come true.
..It is the couple overcoming challenges and patiently praying for this moment as they become the Bride & Groom saying their vows, committing themselves to each other.
..It is the Husband and Wife, full of smile, facing the crowd with unspoken gratitude reflected in their eyes.
If these aren't the faces of genuine love, I don't know what is.
Image by Zaccy Colmenares
Some would argue that one of the best vocations is marriage. It takes patience, perseverance, courage, selflessness and a whole lot of love to take on this path.
For the most part, it was a DIY wedding. A wedding fit for the energy & style of millennials but they pulled it off - and it was beautifully done! At first I was doubtful. Everything was done in a haze..it was crunch time and there was a lot to be accomplished but with everyone's (family and close friends) effort, the wedding was a success and it was lovely. This just proves what love can do. Love from and for family & friends. As I looked around during the ceremony, I saw the different faces of love hidden behind smiles & tears.
The presider, Fr. Mario Tejada has said during the ceremony, "…We have a lot to learn from this wedding", and so we have!
Love knows no deadline, no timeline, no age. To those people who thought or are thinking that it's too late, well, I hope you now think otherwise. I hope now you realize that it's never too late to love and be in love, or maybe, even if it's just a maybe, to realize that it's not too late to say your vows. Now, go get that 'Yes' and 'I do'.