a night to remember.

a song to set the scene // sofia by askjell, iris, aurora

It was just one moment in time.

A pause, all but a breath.

We were all on the dance floor.

There was my sister, looking absolutely radiant in her wedding dress.

Her husband was next to her, dancing with her like they were the only ones in the entire room.

Surrounding me were the closest and most cherished members of my friends and family.

And in the midst of this celebration, I suddenly stopped, and paused for this one moment in time.

As if everyone around me had frozen, I took a look around me and felt pure joy.

It was unfiltered, unobstructed happiness.

It was one night to remember.

It’s been nearly two weeks since my sister’s wedding, and it’s taken me longer than usual to gather my thoughts and feelings.

There are too many!

From that night, from that week, from the months leading up to it.

Especially the months leading up to it.

See, in the weeks leading up to the wedding, my family experienced the sudden passing of our grandpa. Stubborn, he refused a service or a funeral, wanting instead to just go quietly.

Stubborn, I felt it prudent to honor his passing, not just for his sake, but for the loved ones he left behind.

Specifically, I felt it necessary to honor this stage of life: the end.

Especially in such short proximity to what we were about to experience: the beginning.

Specifically: my sister’s new beginning.

So, during my speech at the wedding, I said a few words about the importance of his passing and what it means to those he left behind.

As the season changes outside my window as I write this, I feel the timing of his departure and the closeness to the wedding’s arrival was too important to ignore.

On the heels of death came life, and I realized that lows such as grief do not exist without highs such as love.

To be given the opportunity for all of us to come together and celebrate love, that moment in time felt so compelling to write about because in that moment, I was fully embracing the fragility of this life and what it means to be alive and in love.

That’s why I felt drawn to share the fullness of that pause on the dance floor, and why it meant so much to me.

It was my special moment in time.

Amidst all the stress and chaos of the wedding preparations, and navigating grief with my family, that pause selfishly allowed me to create my own experience and memories, and I was able to hold them close, tenderly.

How precious life is.

How special it is to feel such love and connection to this incredible existence.

And how blessed I feel to have been able to take a pause from it all and just live in that one moment in time.

A huge congratulations to my sister and her new husband. ❤️