Campfire Stories

Somewhere Between Here and There

Another return flight. It's somewhat amusing thinking that up until 15 months ago I had only been on one round trip flight in my life. Now I have been on 7, three of those coming in the past two months. It's amusing thinking that two months ago I was actually quite content being single and remaining single. My heart remained in Colorado and I had no intention - or desire - to relocate.

Two months. I piss on two months. Two pages from a calendar. I have youth group plans through June. Two months is nothing. But it has changed my life. Actually my life was changed the day I discovered Shay - and I knew the moment that I saw her. This two months has been the beginning of the result of that change.

I asked for her parent's blessing to marry Shay. Her mom had a mom moment, and dad said, "Right on," like a classic child of the 60's. Within hours there were SIX pictures of Shay and I up on the fridge, another in front of the computer, and one next to mom's bed. That got me thinking about the significance of ceremonies in our culture. I talked to the parents out of respect and formality - nothing else. If they had said, "No," bummer. Guess they don't want to be involved in the lives of their grandchildren. I knew what they were going to say going into the evening. Yet there was something significant about that event to all the parties involved. Mom was thrilled. Dad (I believe) was thrilled. Brother and sister were kinda like, woah... And for Shay and I, we simply looked at each other with a goofy grin. For some reason it became more real. Nothing explainable changed. My commitment to her is still the same. My love for her is still growing at the same rate - more with every moment. And our intentions together are still the same. But that was a significant milestone in our relationship.

What is it about the significant ceremonies in our lives that hold symbolic meaning? Things like weddings, baptisms, or funerals. They don't make the people involved any more in love, religious, or dead - but they are the milestones that mark the meaningful events in our lives. I certaintly don't understand it - because one would logically think that the cause of the event is the significant moment. Perhaps the ceremonies are vehicles of translation from head knowledge to heart knowledge? What do you think?

Well - my heart may be in Minnesota, but my head needs to be here. Youth group starts in four hours, 26 minutes - and I'm cruising at 36,000 feet somewhere over Kansas.

posted by Devo @ 11:35 AM |