"Cowardice asks the question...is it safe? Expediency asks the question...is it politic? Vanity asks the question...is it popular? But conscience asks the question...is it right? And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular but one must take it because it is right." ~Dr. Martin Luther King

Friday 5 August 2016

THE CIRCLE GROWS

First chapter of Keenan and Kari's life is concluded. The wedding celebration is almost over. It's back  to work on Monday and life begins again in earnest as a couple. 

As of past practice, it was not a conventional wedding .Yet , in part, it was. 

It may already have become the convention for couples to create their own event . 

Keenan is a lifetime resident of Newmarket . Raised no more than a couple of blocks east of Yonge and less than one  north of Davis Drive. His mother grew up in Aurora and his father in Kettleby .They have known each other since Heather was born and Andy was five years old. 

On the day of the wedding ,Newmarket Main Street was closed to traffic. Containers of flowers 
overflowed from lamp standards and boxes on the sidewalks and buildings,freshly painted in 
pretty colours, sparkled in the sun. 
 
As they walked down the centre line holding hands with attendants following, Keenan and Kari were King and Queen of the Hill. 

Officiating  at the ceremony  with the exchange of vows was cousin Mary. I'm not sure how or why but it was the second ceremony she has conducted. It was beautiful, simple and meaningful. 

Uncle Stephen and Kerr, a friend from Ayr ,Scotland read poems chosen by the bride and groom. 

The venue was the lower level of Police Association Club facility on Bayview. 

The women and Keenan's  Dad and brother Adam prepared all day into the previous evening. Our numbers were handy because there was lots to do. Small cousins made the white paper chain decorations. Table decorations included a cherry wood log Keenan had sliced into plaques . 
Favours were small canning jars filled with  barbecue rub and barbecue sauce  made by the bridal couple

Glass containers for floral centre pieces gathered over the year and a half  prior to the wedding  were decorated by the bride. 

Since the first and second Buck weddings in Canada, small children have always been part of the festivities. 

Stephanie and Myles, first grandchildren,  danced non-stop at Heather's wedding. 

Stephanie was Master of Ceremony at Keenan's wedding. 

 First on the floor after bride and groom, without encouragement, the little ones danced with carefree abandon and  grown -ups immediately  formed a  circle around them. 
 
Nine  small people and two infants, gathered from far and wide at the wedding.

Neither a cry,  nor a wail, or a plaintive whimper was heard throughout a day that started at 2p.m. and ended at 2 a.m.

It was a happy,happy day. 

Not a tear was shed.

Cousin Mark Buck and Mindy will be married in September. 

Cousin Elizabeth and Derek will be married  at Halloween 2017, with a Halloween theme. 

Mary will officiate at both. By then her three little girls dressed alike in pink party dresses for this wedding, will be joined by a fourth sibling. 

Cousin Lindsay's three sister siblings will have a little brother tagging along .

The three Canadian/American great-grandchildren will likely not attend but they'll be with us in spirit. 

The  circle will continue to grow.

Margaret and Cyril  were missed.


1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Sounds like it was a beautiful day for you.:)