Come spring, there is going to be a wedding in the family. My nephew, Trent, is taking a bride. Trent and Jessica will be married on Good Friday. They have chosen to be married on the beach against a back drop of ocean blue. On their wedding day, the world begins anew and all dreams are possible. I will be there to witness the birth of their family. When I heard the good news, the first thought that came to my mind was, “I need a new dress.†That’s a common thought for women when they are told there is going to be a wedding.
Long gone is the day when the cake cutting was held in the church basement. Now, a wedding can cost as much as a house, but come spring, brides will begin turning up everywhere. By June, weddings will be booked all over town. Think of all the bridesmaid dresses that will be sold; and an army of young exuberant bridegrooms and ushers sporting tuxedos dancing with the bridesmaids and mothers. Weddings propel a society into the future.
When we were a nation of neighborhoods and families, we came together to celebrate weddings. The women in the community became a workforce that could create bridal dresses, make the cakes and refreshments, clean the church, and tame the groomsmen. As we have grown into large cities with anonymous neighbors, we have lost the sense of community. As we attend the spring and summer weddings, it is a good time to remember and to recall our lost innocence.
