Some Hopeful Stories from a Celebration of Love

Last week, I started writing a message but ran out of time before traveling to Maryland for my niece’s wedding. (Next week I will share the comforting Halloween Miracle Message from my mom.) This week, being with my family for a celebration of Love was a well-timed distraction from the post-election news cycles. The election did not go the way I had envisioned, and like many of you, I’m still processing my emotions around it. 

I’m not going to speak directly to that here because my intention in writing these weekly stories is to bring people together, not to separate us. Instead, I’m going to share a few hopeful stories from my niece’s wedding to demonstrate what’s possible when we let love lead the way. For the record, I asked permission to share these stories, and they said “write whatever you want, Uncle John.”

Officiating weddings is not something I actively seek out, but when two people I love dearly ask me to perform this role, I can’t say no. It is an honor that I don’t take lightly. Even though I find it a bit stressful, when my niece and her longtime girlfriend asked me to officiate their ceremony, I wholeheartedly said yes.

We discussed many of the rituals that are commonly performed at weddings. Since this would be an outdoor wedding, the tradition of lighting a candle was not a practical option. Wind is not kind to lit candles. I was happy they chose the sand ritual where each person pours a different colored sand into an empty vessel representing their new life together. I love this ritual because each type of sand retains its unique qualities while creating something beautiful when combined. 

I brought a cup of white, powdery sand from the Gulf Coast of Florida where I live, and my sister collected a cup of golden, more coarse sand from the East Coast of Florida where she lives. With no real opportunity to practice, we weren’t sure what it would look like when the two different kinds of sand were combined. As you can see from the photo, it created some pretty cool art! 

The sand was also a nice way to bring the energy of their beloved dog, Kaptain, into the ceremony. Sadly, Kap crossed the Rainbow Bridge at the end of 2023. The big guy always reverted to a playful puppy while frolicking on the golden sand of Ormond Beach, even during their last Christmas visit when he was so sick. His love was very present. In fact, there was so much love present for these two, during our opening prayer, I asked everyone to envision that love extending in all directions from that beautiful space out to the world.

As the brides poured their sand, I invited the attendees to hold their hands on their hearts and imagine pouring love and blessings into the vessel at the same time. When the sand was in the larger vessel, I placed a small rose quartz heart on top to add the energy of unconditional love and compassion to the mix. The jar was filled with a beautiful blend of sand, love, and good wishes for a happy life together. After placing the lid on the jar, I offered these words. “May the contents of this jar be a tangible reminder of this joyous day and all the love and support that is here for you now and forever.”

The symbolism of the sand ritual was beautiful, but what probably touched me the most was the toasts my nephews gave at the reception. The oldest started the toast by introducing himself and his younger brother before quickly admitting that when they found out their mom was pregnant, neither one wanted a little sister. In their minds, the family unit was just fine before she came along.

After sharing some funny and revealing stories about his little sister, the oldest brother passed the microphone to the middle brother. We all expected him to make us laugh with his quick wit and creative sense of humor, but he went in another direction. My niece and her middle brother antagonized each other all through their childhood. Sometimes we had to separate them for a little peace and quiet. No one could have predicted that one day these two would get along so well that they would buy a house together and live under the same roof. But that is exactly what happened about 4 years ago! 

The middle brother shared how he has gotten to know his sister and her wife well during the last 4 years, and how happy he is that they found each other. Despite the occasional head-butting, he expressed gratitude for gaining a second sister, and how he considered her a sister long before the piece of paper made it legal.

Then, while fighting back tears, he went on to say how proud he is of the woman his little sister has become. And somehow during those 4 years, she went from being his little sister to being his best friend. I’m sure I’m not the only one whose eyes were leaking when they hugged after that!

Those are just two of the highlights of this beautiful weekend celebration of love. It was such a good reminder of one of my favorite quotes from A Course in Miracles:

Love does not conquer all things, but it does set all things right. T-4.VI.7:6

If I can provide a safe space for you to share your fears and help you return to peace, please don’t hesitate to contact me. I base my Spiritual Coaching Sessions on the strong principles found in A Course in Miracles, Family Constellations, and other spiritual practices. I would be honored to help you see things from a higher perspective and shift from fear to love. You can find out more about these opportunities or book a session on my website. 

Until next time, be gentle with yourself. Feel all of your feelings. And know that you are not alone. We will continue to shine our light together despite outward circumstances. 

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. 

Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.”

~ Martin Luther King, Jr.