Locks of Love

Except for me, our family is pretty unmaterialistic. (I'm still working on it.) When it comes to giving gifts most of them will opt for something meaningful and sentimental rather than expensive and impressive. Ben's new bride Teresa is certainly following in that tradition.

Recently she appeared at family brunch with a startling haircut. Teresa hasn't cut her hair more than an inch or two for many years. Despite pleas from friends and family she chose to keep it long and wear it simply for her wedding. But she had a plan.

After the wedding she donated over a foot of her luxurious mop to Locks of Love, a non-profit organization that provides wigs for low-income children who have lost their own hair due to disease---such as cancer or alopecia areaca. It was, Teresa said, a way to share her good fortune and happiness.

At that moment we couldn't have been prouder of her...and she couldn't have looked more beautiful.

More information about Locks of Love can be found at: http://www.locksoflove.org/

Every Picture Tells a Story...Bottle Dance et al

Every Picture tells a Story...Under the Canopy of Heaven

Early on I resolved never to blog about any specific religion. I think that was a wise decision. Unimaginable havoc continues to be wreaked on the world in the name of parochial religion. But this kind of conflict doesn't have to be inevitable just because faiths diverge. Our latest family wedding is proof of this and I'm delighted to be able to blog about it.

My grandson Ben is part of a devoted Jewish family. His new wife Teresa is from a devout Catholic family with deep roots in church and community. I've come to the conclusion the faiths of the two families are much more alike than different. This played out in a wedding that included two ceremonies celebrating two traditions.

First a beautiful Catholic ceremony full of pageantry in Teresa's home parish. Then a Jewish ceremony full of singing and dancing outside, under the chuppa or marriage canopy. Each was so wonderful in its on way---and so respectful of the other.

Teresa's family pulled out all the stops--and their checkbooks to give the kids a never-to-be-forgotten (or repeated) wedding. For their part, Jack and Carole tried to stay out of the way. They gave Ben an exquisite handloomed tallit (prayer shawl) for a wedding present. Stretched between four wooden poles held by brothers and sisters, it formed the marriage canopy. Later, (much later, we pray), Ben will be wrapped in the tallit for burial. Sorry if anybody finds this a macabre detail but I like the idea.

The other photos I'm posting this afternoon are pretty self-explanatory. If you can't figure them out, make something up. Or I will.

Every Picture Tells a Story...The Groom's Dinner II

It would be grand if I could improve the looks of things here but I'm not going to fool around with it. Blogger's gonna do what it's gonna do and I'm gonna close my eyes and type. Just try to follow along.

These photos remind me of how lucky we are. Carole and Jack's extended family came from the four corners of the country to celebrate. Their easy-going intimacy amazes me, coming as I do from just about the opposite background.

The groom's dinner was held an Irish pub---a perfect venue for the schmoozing and music the family loves. As usual I pooped out early and missed the after-9 festivities. No problem though as I'm a rotten Riverdancer. (Doesn't the very idea crack you up? I'm giggling.)

Tomorrow I'll share pictures of the ceremonies. Yes, there were two. But that's another story!