Great White Buffalo

Saturday evening, I officiated Morgan and Austin’s wedding ceremony at the Rosewood Mansion Hotel, in Dallas, Texas. Here are the remarks I shared with them and their guests:

Austin’s telling of the pre-relationship phase of this couple’s story, involves an intriguing reference, “We met in tenth grade… but we never dated in high school… I… joked with my friends during high school and after that she was my ‘great white buffalo.’” This intriguing term according to Urban Dictionary means “’the one that got away’ or ‘first love’”. It comes from that cinematic masterpiece of 2010, the year Morgan and Austin met, “Hot Tub Time Machine”, where it is not explained, just whispered in repetition.

You could be forgiven for at this moment doing a double-take, and saying to yourself, “Did the rabbi just cite what film critic, Richard Propes, characterized as a ‘not for the faint of heart and definitely not for a family outing… film?’” Well, no, that was the groom. But, as Propes also points out the tale it tells is “surprisingly insightful”, and though I don’t know if Propes realizes this, the idea of the great white buffalo connects to a very Jewish concept.

In fact, the Ancient Rabbis imagine that before the formation of a fetus, a heavenly voice decrees who that eventual human will fall in love with and marry. It is up to us, as humans to then find that person we are divinely matched to.

Though Morgan does not use any references from films pining for lost youth of the eighties, she tells us that the feelings Austin had for her were mutual, “We always had a thing for each other.” Luckily, though their second chance also involved Austin returning to the city of his youth and going out with three buddies, no supernatural magic was necessary. The sparks that flew in June 2018 were real, not from a malfunctioning bathing apparatus.

These two have been inseparable ever since that night. What they have built together, what they do for each other, they describe in language bordering on the poetic. They truly understand that a true love story is much more than, well, love.

Listen to Austin: “I truly can’t imagine not having her in my life. She is someone who is a partner and a best friend not just a spouse, someone I look up to and respect. She challenges me and wants the best for me. I love that she loves her family, I love that she’s kind to other people, I love her humility and generosity...”

Listen to Morgan: “No person has ever made me feel more loved, appreciated and happy than Austin. He is my biggest fan, supporter, teacher, listener, and the time has never felt more right to get married. I couldn't imagine my life without Austin. He truly makes me a better person each and every day.”

No wonder Austin says, “I knew that she was the only one for me and I don’t want to wait any longer to start making memories.” No wonder Morgan says, “I am so excited for this next chapter in our relationship, and I know we have so much more fun ahead!”