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Sep. 22nd, 2002
Dancing in the street
Sep. 22nd, 2002 01:27 amIn other news, I'm just home from the marriage of a very good friend's brother. The brother, J, is someone I've known since... forever. Since he was in high school and his new bride was "just a friend." There's an adorable picture of them at their high school prom the mother of the groom was showing around to everyone today.
It was a fun wedding. The service itself took place on the beach just past sunset, where we first did havdallah, then a sukkot blessing, then the ceremony proper. The bride and groom were obviously delighted with one another, and there was a warm feeling of fun as everyone tried to keep the chuppa from blowing away in the wind off the ocean, and tried to keep the tiki torches lit.
Afterward, everyone trooped back to the house... and of course the inevitable hora finally came on. A parade of clapping wedding guests led the way out front of the house to the street, where the wedding guests, the family, and the whole neighborhood joined in the dance. It felt delightful. I'd eaten too much and thought myself too queasy for dancing, but soon the beat had me going and I was flying around with the best of them. I think it is a marvelous, magical thing to dance at a wedding.
A few years ago I was at my first orthodox Jewish wedding, and for the first time in my life it struck me what it meant to talk about dancing at one's child's wedding. It's a special moment, especially for the parents, watching their eyes light up, watching the joy with which they swing around and around with their child, watching the guests form circles around daughter and mother or father and son.
I'm so happy for the two people who got married tonight, and their respective families (who were planning this wedding for the last fifteen years...) I hope one day I get to dance at Baby's wedding. I want her to see that joy in my eyes, and the same in hers.
It was a fun wedding. The service itself took place on the beach just past sunset, where we first did havdallah, then a sukkot blessing, then the ceremony proper. The bride and groom were obviously delighted with one another, and there was a warm feeling of fun as everyone tried to keep the chuppa from blowing away in the wind off the ocean, and tried to keep the tiki torches lit.
Afterward, everyone trooped back to the house... and of course the inevitable hora finally came on. A parade of clapping wedding guests led the way out front of the house to the street, where the wedding guests, the family, and the whole neighborhood joined in the dance. It felt delightful. I'd eaten too much and thought myself too queasy for dancing, but soon the beat had me going and I was flying around with the best of them. I think it is a marvelous, magical thing to dance at a wedding.
A few years ago I was at my first orthodox Jewish wedding, and for the first time in my life it struck me what it meant to talk about dancing at one's child's wedding. It's a special moment, especially for the parents, watching their eyes light up, watching the joy with which they swing around and around with their child, watching the guests form circles around daughter and mother or father and son.
I'm so happy for the two people who got married tonight, and their respective families (who were planning this wedding for the last fifteen years...) I hope one day I get to dance at Baby's wedding. I want her to see that joy in my eyes, and the same in hers.