Family Wedding

Congratulations to Caitlin and Erik, who were married yesterday in Tampa. One of the cutest quirky couples I've ever met, April Fool's day was perfect for them. After a week of storms and nine tornadoes in the Tampa Bay area, the day was perfect, 80 degrees and blue skies. Guests came from many states and had tales of travel travail.

Caitlin and her family are intertwined with mine. She's like a sister to both my kids, and her two brothers are respectively, my youngest's best friend and my oldest's significant other. Her parents are the salt of the earth, and some of my dearest friends. On her dad's pure Irish side, the family is from New Jersey. His brother, Monsignor Mike, who still resides in NJ, officiated at the Sacred Heart Cathedral in downtown Tampa. Three cousins also have dedicated their lives to the church, with two priests and a nun, all of whom were part of the ceremony, their brogues adding to their considerable charm. On her mom's side, is a big family of West Virginia aunts and cousins, all of whom came and enjoyed being with each other and with all of us Caitlin's a bit of a poet, and one of the readings was a favorite poem of mine....

i carry your heart with me

~by ee cummings

i carry your heart with me(i carry it in

my heart)i am never without it(anywhere

i go you go,my dear; and whatever is done

by only me is your doing,my darling)

i fear

no fate(for you are my fate,my sweet)i want

no world(for beautiful you are my world,my true)

and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant

and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows

(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud

and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows

higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide)

and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)

A lovely, lovely wedding and one that makes you believe in love all over again.