saturday. she woke to him watching her sleep. he told her that when he wakes up in the morning he loves her most. seeing her stir each day, his face lights up and he feels so much for her. they untangled their legs, she uncurled from her fetal position and they stretched their bodies until the pads of their feet touched the floor. a bridal shower: the bride's bright blue eyes shone as she surveyed all of the gorgeous details planned for the event, which was held in a suite on the fourteenth floor of the fairmont pacific rim, overlooking the ocean. twenty four of the bride's closest friends and family, dressed in beautiful layers of silk and linen, gathered to toast her with pink bubbly. there were orchids, there were china tea cups, there were many pairs of designer heels and there was love for the bride-to-be. he met her after the shower with a picnic in hand. they sat next to the ocean and tore off pieces of soft baguette to spread with soft brie. she bit into a ripe bosc pear and the juice ran down her fingers. they breathed in the sea breeze. he ordered her a tall decaf half-sweet hazelnut whole milk one hundred and fifty degree latte for her to sip while they shopped downtown. he chose for her an elegant white trench; she found a ballet-pink cashmere wrap. they finished the evening with films. sunday. a quiet day at home while the rain poured. a friend that they love came to visit, and the men went out to drink beer at the local brewery. she watched dramatic films and had a pedicure with ballet pink polish. she pondered easter, what it meant to her once, what it meant to her on that day and what it would mean to her and to her babes in the future. when her own words failed, the words of others came to mind: faith is very present in my life and yet it has evolved over the years to a more encompassing place of respecting everyone's beliefs and learning from many different walks of life. i have a very faith-heavy past, and there are both treasured traditions and beliefs from the past i keep as well as pains and misconceptions of god i've worked to heal. faith and religion are two very different things. i am religion-less, but faith--the grounding, comforting belief that i am smaller than someone else, that there is more to my life than my breath and body--is a very purposeful part of my life. (kelle hampton) there are thoughts which are prayers. there are moments when, whatever be the attitude of the body, the soul is on its knees. (victor hugo) they simmered a spicy curry with mushrooms on the stove and served it over brown rice. perfectly warming for the cool, wet day. when the sun had set, they pulled on wellies and put up their umbrella. a journey to visit couple friends with a stop at the wine shop for a bottle of beso de vino old vine garnacha, mostly intrigued by the label: banana and nut bread toast, berry compote, and delicate spice aromas follow through on a round entry to a dry-yet-fruity medium body with a hint of green apple and mint jelly. once uncorked and decanted, the aroma and flavors proved to be as interesting as the bottle. the four sipped on wine for hours, sharing life stories while the babe slept soundly upstairs.
