A Profound Oneness

Yesterday, Sunday 4/14, I officiated Shannon and Cory's wedding ceremony at the Barr Mansion in Austin, Texas. Here are the remarks I shared with them and their guests:

Describing, quantifying, defining love is so difficult. Shannon and Cory can help us with this, though. The way they describe their love is at the same time simple and profound. Listen to this; this is gold.

Cory says, "I have never been in love until I met Shannon. I thought I was, but now I know what true love is." Shannon echoes this, when she says, "I’ve never connected with anyone like I have with Cory. It’s hard to explain; you just know. I guess that’s what they call love."

Wow.

Reading their descriptions reminded me of one of the most beautiful things I have ever read - Sonnet XVII from Cien Sonetos de Amor by Pablo Neruda. I think this is what Shannon and Cory are trying to tell us about love:

I do not love you as if you were salt-rose, or topaz, or the arrow of carnations the fire shoots off.
I love you as certain dark things are to be loved, in secret, between the shadow and the soul.
I love you as the plant that never blooms but carries in itself the light of hidden flowers; thanks to your love a certain solid fragrance, risen from the earth, lives darkly in my body.
I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where.
I love you straightforwardly, without complexities or pride; so I love you because I know no other way
than this: where I does not exist, nor you, so close that your hand on my chest is my hand, so close that your eyes close as I fall asleep.

What Shannon and Cory are telling us, what Pablo Neruda is telling us, is that true love of a mate is so intense that it is as if you become one living and breathing entity. This is such a unique experience, that words fall short of describing it.

Shannon and Cory, what is it we wish for you? That you may continue to enjoy such a deep connection, such an abiding love, such a profound oneness, that it virtually defies description.

The Journey, Not the Destination

Emily and Jeff contacted me because they decided to have their destination wedding in beautiful Austin, Texas. At the time, they were living in beautiful Wellington, New Zealand. Little did they know that they were contacting the former rabbi of the Wellington Hebrew Congregation. Small world! Here are the remarks I shared with them and their guests:

When Emily and Jeff contacted me to officiate their wedding, I was delighted to find out where they were living, in dreamy Wellington, New Zealand, where I myself had lived for two years in the late 90s. It was, however, their personal journeys, their strong love for each other, and their beautiful love story that really fascinated me. They really mean what we just heard, “If the sun refused to shine, I would still be loving you. If the mountains should crumble to the sea, there would still be you and me.”

What is their secret? It’s really kind of simple. They have truly lived their lives in the best way possible, with the realization that it is the journey that matters, not the destination. They have sought to learn and self-reflect, as individuals and as a couple in a way that goes beyond what most couples do. It is this approach that has allowed each of them to become a better person by learning from the other. It is this approach that has pushed them to seize life by the horns. It is this approach that allows them, nay drives them to live their dreams and strive towards an even better future together.

So, Emily and Jeff, thank you for setting such a great example for the rest of us for how one can love and live life to the fullest in the present and strive towards the future. With that, let's start that future now!