Sunday, November 22, 2020

A Wedding in the Time of Ickiness

 It is said, by someone somewhere and we will never find out by whom it was said, that everything happens in threes.  It is hard to remember whether it was bad things, or good things that  happen in threes, but I’m going with good things for the purpose of this blob.  Yesterday the last of my three nieces was wed.  They are actually my cousins, but they feel like my nieces so thats how I think  about them.  

Each of the weddings was unique because it is an unusual time with the pandemic still raging. The first of the three was in July.  It was a zoom wedding with only a few people inside the temple and a larger group waiting outside the temple to throw things at the happy couple. We weren’t there but it looked like rice.  How did the tradition to throw like rice begin? We watched it on zoom. Considering most of the guests  were hundreds of miles away, it was quite intimate.  Everyone on zoom felt like they were a part of the happiness.  The bride looked spectacular.



The second wedding was outdoors in a lovely setting overlooking the Hudson River.  There were only a few people at the ceremony, all social distancing. After the ceremony the friends and family, mostly family threw flower petals.  I was not fast enough, but I was determined, so I chased the happy couple around the corner and well into an area where they  were taking pictures.  Did I feel stupid? Never, when it is a joyous event.The food was amazing.  We all sat at small tables  and the wait staff came table to table with the food courses.  The tent, under which we all sat, looked like we were in a house with large windows. It was neat.  The timing was perfect because by the time we were getting cold, the celebration was over.


The third wedding was last night.  The guests were spread out in the Synagogue. The chuppa (a symbolic tent) was gorgeous.  It was covered with flowers and the backdrop was white with pearls.  After the ceremony we didn’t throw anything.  We went to a local chic restaurant, where there was a private room and again small tables to social distance.  Everyone wore masks but since that is a new reality, it was fine.  The meal was endless. First a series of appetizers, next sherbet to clean the palate and finally a delicious entree, steak or halibut.  The bride looked stunning.


These young women are  special. They are cousins and very close.  The wonderful thing is that they all married remarkable men.  At each wedding you could feel the love was enormous and the happiness contagious.  Each wedding in its own way was perfect, and filled me with joy. 


Once we have a vaccine and the pandemic is under control, it will be easier for young people to express their love without having to cut their guest lists to very few people, and covering their faces with pirate-like face coverings, but these kids were determined to get married and celebrate.  We can all learn a lesson from them about persistence and bliss.  We're just sayin'...Iris

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