There IS Hope

Last week was pretty bad; shootings, attempted coups, an attack in Nice...  This whole world seems to be going to hell in a hand basket.  (No comments on this week's RNC or the upcoming DNC which I am sure will BOTH cause more chaos.)  The world is getting more frightening with every second or so it seems.

But I have hope.  Yes, I may be an eternal optimist and an idealist, but despite all the craziness on this planet, I do have hope and I'm going to tell you why.  In this midst of all the horrors that we heard about on the news, my cousin got married.  It is because of this celebration that I have hope.

Notice I didn't say ceremony.  Because ceremony is not the right word for the day.  It was a celebration.  It was an affirmation.  It was a confirmation to me that two people can find each other in this world, fall in love and make this world a better place because of it.

If I sound like a sap, so be it.  These two have proved to me that there are good people in this world.  Good, young (not fresh out of school, but young enough) people who obviously love each other and their families and friends.

Now let me be perfectly clear, although the bride is my cousin, I don't know her that well.  I know her husband even less.  (Although I hope that changes in the future.)  Her mother (also my cousin...it's a long, convoluted relation and I'm not sure how it breaks down.  I believe we are first cousins once removed, but what the heck does that even mean or matter), is the one that I am closer to.  (Although not as close as I would like.  She too is a great woman and we need the opportunity to hang out more to laugh, bitch and share.) But even though we don't know each other well, she welcomed me and my husband with open arms the night before the wedding.  In the midst of all her friends (and believe me there were A LOT of friends, which to me speaks volumes of the kind of person she and her husband are), she took the time to warmly greet everyone who came into town for her pre-wedding gathering.

They had a beautiful wedding. (With a scenic overlook directly behind the bride and groom as they exchanged their vows.)  There was laughter (lots and lots of laughter).  There were tears (of joy and happiness).  There was singing (how amazing that the newly married couple danced as friends sang to them; a song that the groom had vocally arranged).  There was dancing. There was eating and drinking.  (Because what would a wedding be without amazing food and drink.)  There were speeches that were full of love and laughter.  And wonderful, wonderful stories.  The only regret of the evening was that it had to end.  (Well, for the "younger" set it continued on, but for this "old" lady; I was happy to collapse into bed before midnight!) There were so many touching moments that I could never recount them all.  

What touched me most and confirmed what I already knew about the bride and groom is this.  The bride and her husband plan to take time out of their honeymoon to return to her hometown. Both of her maternal grandparents were unable to come to the wedding (which was approximately 140 miles north of where she grew up and where her grandparents reside).  The bride and groom will don their wedding apparel again and spend time with her grandparents.  Photographs will be taken (I hope to see them) and precious memories will be made.

After all that how could I not walk away feeling hope?  Despite all the awful things that happen, there is still hope.  There is still love.  When all the horrible things in life seem to reach out and shake us, we need to remember that there ARE people out there like my cousin and her husband.  And that because of that the world IS a better place.

So thank you Sarah and Ben (and your respective families) for making this world a better place just by being you.