The tears we cry.

Have you ever cried at a wedding? I did not cry at my own wedding 34 years ago and I did not cry at my son's wedding last year. Prince Charles and Lady Diana were married without me shedding a tear and so were Tiger and Elin, but as we know, those marriages came to tragic end. I remember crying a tear or two when Racquel Welch was married and I realized she would not wait for me but I was much younger then. Fastforward.  Last weekend I balled my eyes out. After using up my tissues I used my dinner napkin, apologies to the caterers as they were linen. The groom is the son of a couple we have been friends with since before he was born and the bride we met while she was working at our golf course for a summer. This young couple have been to many of the same events as my wife and I, so we have really had the chance to know them. We were delighted to be invited to the wedding! Sometimes the fairy tale romances work out. He told the story about their first meeting when he awoke from sleeping on a couch and she was looking down at him. They had not been introduced yet but he said to himself "this is the woman I am going to marry!" She left town to go to medical school and he followed her leaving his family and friends and employment behind just to be with her.   There was not a dry eye in the house as these two described their love for each other. As they spoke of the depth and breadth of their love for each other it was clear to all that this couple was completely committed. They had looked at all sides of marriage and worked through what it meant to make a commitment for life and they were ready. Why did we cry? The honesty, the profound statement of love, the rawness of their admission of what love meant to each other before a large crowd of family and friends was so tender and real, that our tears washed away any cynicism we voyeurs had about what marriage is about.   Most of the time I write and speak about how to make your marriage better and more fulfilling, but sometimes marriages should end because we did not make the right choice in the beginning. This couple have built a brilliant foundation upon which their marriage will flourish and impact their community in a very positive way. They made a good choice and they are loving on purpose. We can all shed tears of joy about that.