{reminiscing}: our wedding day, our marriage, our life here

(photos by bryan and mae)

(photos by bryan and mae)

My Grandma's wedding dress that is now my wedding dress...

I remember telling my Grandmother before 

I had even heard of Mr. Husband's existence,

that I wanted to wear her wedding dress at my wedding.... 

(photos by bryan and mae)

The veil... made to match the style of 

when my Grandmother got married, 

in the late 1940s... 

(photos by bryan and mae)

My red komboskini that I wore the first time at my wedding

and now wear on Pascha...with the red Cross also...

the two crystal coloured Crosses were for my Sister

and my wedding sponsor...

all from Holy Dormition Monastery... 

and my now old red and white cell phone... 

*

I was about to gain everything through marriage

yet I lost my beloved Ottawa...

*

It took me time to be able to really voice the fact that

I left something... 

but I did, something wonderful, I left

but for something equally or even more wonderful;

so many of my dreams have come true that I never knew could.

*

I am married to my best friend.

I get to do the church bookstore and Sunday school at my 

now not as new far-away church.

I have learned new places, learned to knit, read new authors,

expanded my experience of Orthodoxy now having,

through my time as a student in BC and London, 

my time in Michigan, my years in Ottawa and now in NJ,

I've been part of four different Orthodox jurisdictions.

(The Orthodox church has various jurisdictions that were formed

by different immigrant groups here in North America; our doctrine and 

liturgics is the same; just different Orthodox cultural groups).

*

I have more than one church home.

And it is good.

I would say that my marriage and move have widened my 

ability to know and see different ways within the church 

and see all the goodness in each one.

*

My Dad told me before I got married

that if in marriage we put the other first, then it is heaven on earth.

We try to remember this;

we ask forgiveness; we laugh; we tease; we make up stories,

we write poems...

*

I am so glad for the two years of marriage

and pray for many more, with health and salvation!