My wife Michelle and I were married 12 years ago today in the backyard of a friend's house in Battleground, Indiana - not too far from Purdue's campus. A small group of family and friends attended.
So much charity of heart that day. My wife's friend Patricia let us use her house and backyard for the wedding and reception. Lilacs scented the air and everything was green. A few musical friends formed a quartet and played as their gift to us. Neil Myers, from the creative writing program, had agreed to give his time and wrote up a ceremony around the vows we had written and married us.
During the ceremony, I read several passages from Wendell Berry's long poem the Country of Marriage to Michelle as part of my vows. The last line of this section in particular, about "going on" has much more meaning these days.
3.
Sometimes our life reminds me
of a forest in which there is a graceful clearing
and in that opening a house,
an orchard and garden,
comfortable shades, and flowers
red and yellow in the sun, a pattern
made in the light for the light to return to.
The forest is mostly dark, its ways
to be made anew day after day, the dark
richer than the light and more blessed,
provided we stay brave
enough to keep on going in.
3 comments:
Happy Anniversary! It was an honor to be part of it. I have a photo of you, Michelle, Neil, & Marianne mid-laugh up on my mantel. Joyus days.
A belated Happy Anniversary Keith.
This is lovely. I'm a big Wendell Berry fan. You found my blog this morning, and I am glad to find yours. It's a cold, sunny morning...a good day for the gift of a new blog and a visit from an unknown, kindred spirit staying warm in some other (presumably) cold place.
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