Full Hearts

This weekend was busy, and crazy, but so, so full.

We awakened Saturday with a long to-do list. We are leaving town on Tuesday and have lots still to do in preparation. The boys awakened and began playing with Spiderman and Kid Arachnid. Daddy got breakfast, we wrangled everyone into the cars, and we set out in twos for errands. I left soon after to sing a wedding, and my husband got the house ready for the babysitter who would arrive after naps were over.

The first wedding joined a Mexican American & Irish American couple. The music was lovely, the bride stunning, and the families so happy and supportive. I rushed to the next wedding, the marriage of two friends of mine, Charmaine and Maria. My husband met me there eventually, and we sat in the throbbing sun, with tears in our eyes over the beautiful union we witnessed. There, we watched and participated in the merging of Greek and African American cultural traditions as their families celebrated their love and their union.

And then today, we awakened earlier than the kids for once, to iron shirts and fetch milk for cereal before heading to the baptism of my sweet niece, Julia. While my kids weren’t perfectly behaved by a long-stretch, the ceremony was stunning, and beautiful, and perfect in every way. The ceremony was followed by a brunch, a stressful brunch, with waiting and china and lots of distant relatives trying to connect with my 3 & 4 year old sons. It was a stressful brunch mitigated only by a screwdriver, good food, and mostly by family… Family that helped and loved and laughed despite the sass and craze in my children.

Finally, I sat back and stopped fretting over the Kix that were falling (and being crunched into the carpet) on the floor, or the cranberry and apple juice that was spilled on the formal dining table. Finally I sat back and watched with calm as my 4 year old enjoyed the company of my high-school-aged cousins.

Once I relaxed and was calm enough to see it, I saw so clearly that joy and love surrounded us; I realized that in looking past the imperfections, all I would see is love; an unconditional love at that.

And so today: I am so grateful for love; unconditional love; a love that is so present in my life, if I can just be still enough to see it.