One beautiful sunny April Saturday, I went to a beautiful wedding. The day was magnificent. The bride and groom put in a request of God and he delivered…big time!
The church was planted with them most beautiful tulips, daffodils and other spring flowering plants, trees and shrubs. The music, the bride, the groom, everyone was dressed in their best clothing and huge smiles were reflected on the members of the audience as we watched this ageless tradition play out before us.
As the processional started, and scriptures were read, it struck me that there were all ages present. Future bride and grooms in body of their mom still yet growing , babies being carried and nursed, family members in wheel chairs, walking sticks from 0 to 85. Even those who have gone on before were there in memory and flame of candle.
As the priest began his homely, he held us an old frame of photos of those brides from this family who had married long ago. He spoke about how these photos reflected our connected past. It was a brilliant connection that he made and suddenly, I was looking for a pen to write what I am about to relay to you which came to me when he spoke.
I remember the day I first looked into the bathroom mirror and much to my disappointment found out what a pimple was and that they don’t just magically disappear with the application of some magical paste from a jar or tube. I remember looking into the mirror as I prepared to done my prom dress and feeling so grown up and beautiful. I remember looking into a mirror on my wedding day adorned with the finery of white and tulle and feeling like a princess. I remember looking in the mirror at a very pregnant woman who just love to take just one long deep breath. I remember looking in the mirror with my newborn in my arms and seeing a piece of me right there so loved and cherished. I remember looking in the mirror when that same child graduated from college and seeing the lines in my face and the circles under my eyes. I remember that day when I looked in the mirror on my 50th birthday and discovering that I had a hair growing someplace it didn’t belong and the laugh lines deepening around my eyes.
Our lives are reflected everyday in our mirror. Once in the morning when we wash the sleep out of our eyes and again at night when we wash the day off of our face. We are each changing. We are each learning. We are each aging as each day’s sun sets.
Look deep into the mirror today and see the beauty that resides there. That beauty does not change with age. Look into to her eyes and her heart she is still there ageless and beautiful.