Thursday, October 10, 2013

Leon and Nancy~September 28, 2013~Wedding




 August 9, 1980 ~Forever Will We Love~ Keats

...and so their history began, with vows that were traditional and a celebratory party of their 300 closest friends and relatives. It was exhausting...an old fashioned chivaree resulted in hundreds of bats in the bedroom on their wedding night and Danny, beloved friend and brother-in-law trying to maim them with a tripod (wish you were here to celebrate with us now.) Nancy’s parents and sisters’ families rented a motorhome and drove across the United States to be at the wedding...it took them three months to recover their relationship after the trip. 

Actually, Leon’s and Nancy’s relationship began in 1976, when a single mom with her daughter and a broken lawn mower was visited by a mechanically inclined single man. For the next several years they loved and argued, married, raised children, worked at their respective careers, and took care of ailing parents. 

Over time, it seemed apart would be better than together. They divorced, but lived next door to one another in order to allow equal access to their children and maintained an ongoing friendship. Sometimes friendly, sometimes not, but always a commitment to children and family and a connection that was never severed. 

Thirty-six years later, they come together again. Two to become one? I don’t think so, unless maybe two distinct halves of a whole.

They are, always have been and always will be different. He’s tall, she’s short, he’s blonde, she’s brown, he saves, she spends, he thinks, she talks, he walks a steady path, she zigzags all over the place, he likes mostly the same, she likes mainly variety. 

So how in the world did it happen that they are here at this place in their lives...ready to take vows to stay together... again? 

One...They love their children and grandchildren... they hold them at the very top of their list of priorities, something they couldn’t count on anyone else to do. 

Two...They know each other well...understand their issues and strengths and have found in the scheme of things, the issues aren’t so bad and their strengths are pretty darn good. 

Three...They pretty much agree on the future...retirement, kids and travel (as long as we can afford it...Leon added that.) 

But most importantly they agree on the need to tolerate... appreciate...celebrate who they are individually and what that allows them to do collectively. A lofty goal, too, of learning to love unconditionally. 


Thank you for sharing this day...and a toast to new beginnings and old friendships. 

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