The Wedding

What a weekend! Whew! What is it about family that is so amazing. Born in NY, my family moved to Calif. When I was 3, for which we thank my Mother regularly. My New York relatives are nuts and we credit New York with their craziness. And yet we absolutely & totally adore our cousins. I am amazed by how close we all feel to one another.

We watched as over the years as my cousing Lisa and Don fell in love and became as necessary to each other as breathing, as Don became an integral part of our family unit. I was reminded of this today as I was hugging him goodbye and told him how happy I was that he was legally a part of the family - but also noted that if he ever hurt Lisa he’d be found at the bottom of the ocean. Without a pause he said, “Be careful what you say, with how neurotic your family is, there are days I might choose the ocean!”

I was reminded of the first time Rick was going to meet the entire family at nephew Maceo’s graduation from Yale. I kept asking Rick to find someone to marry us on the way to the airport. I was worried that he’d back out after meeting the family. But as he always says, “You had to come from someplace.”

So - back to the weekend. What more can I say than that I cried for three days. First and foremost for Don and Lisa who are so happy and who have reached such an incredible place in their life’s journey. We waited a long time to dance at Lisa’s wedding - and it was so worth it….their happiness and joy, the love we have as a family….the strengthening of bonds across miles and generations…the treasuring of our older generation and the shriek of the next generation.

I sometimes get asked why Jews have such huge parties for Bar & Bat Mitzvahs. “It’s like a wedding.” Celebrating these rites of passages celebrate each other, our love for family and ensures the ongoing bonds from generation to generation.

Lisa & Don - Here’s to you!!