To the happy couples!

Disclaimer: this post is full of sentimental and romantic gushing, so if you're a cynic, then read at your own risk of regaining faith in humanity and love. This evening, Josi and I are going to stay with a couple of dear friends in Boston in order to go to the bridal shower of another pair of friends tomorrow. They bring to mind yet two other couples for whom I care very much and who have recently gotten engaged. These last few months have brought a flurry of engagements and weddings into my life and I want to just offer a little tribute and thanks for their influence.
Lucinda and Clarisse are one of the most inspiring couples I will ever have the honor to meet. Individually, they are fascinating people, each with a wonderful sense of humor and a big heart. I am especially grateful to Lucinda for having been such a wonderful best friend to Josi. Together, Lucinda and Clarisse express such graceful confidence in each other, and their love is so evident and beautiful, that I feel sure that they inspire even strangers to be more loving and kind to their own families. What a wonderful impact they make on the lives of others just by loving each other so well. Their wedding will truly be a blessed day, not just for them and their guests, but for everyone.
Page is one of the people I most admire. Since meeting her, I have observed her devotion to making our world a better place in many ways- not just in protecting our environment or fundraising for great causes, but also in the wise perspective she has on the world and the artful way she imparts that advice to others, and how much she cares for her family and friends. I really can't describe her with justice, here. So, it would be hard to imagine a partner who could match this wonderful person. Jonathan is just so. He uses his great intelligence always in the service of others, his honesty and empathy make him a greatly respected and valued clinician and friend, and he's a fabulous feminist. It is heartening to know that there are not just one, but two such worthy people in the world, and that they share one of the world's great loves. Their wedding will be amazing, too, and a wonderful way to restore one's faith in the world.
My sister and Tim have one of those relationships that extend not just forward into their wedding and future together, but also into the past- not just back to their first meeting nearly ten years ago, but back seemingly lifetimes. They fit together so well that it is easy to understand their long wait to get engaged- their relationship is so natural and ongoing that a wedding seems like an afterthought. They have withstood great pressure to get married before they wanted to, and are planning to do so now, only as they feel that they've evolved together in that way- which is quite fitting for a love that seems to have been loving since the beginnings of our own evolution. She is a great sister and I'm sure she will continue to be a great partner to Tim and vice versa.
Likewise, I can't wait to congratulate Diana on her upcoming wedding to Chaban, at her shower tomorrow. On the few occasions I've had the honor of meeting them, they've shown such inspiring confidence and serenity, as well as humor, I'm sure their wedding will leave their guests with optimism and peace. I hope so much that I can offer these same gifts to Josi, though she is absolutely the most inspiring person I've ever known, and I don't think I'll ever be able to reflect all her wonderful gifts. So, I know this has been sentimental- half of you all are probably sniffling away and the other half I'm sure are gagging at me- and I'm NOT ignoring all my other amazing friends. The universe is just making big presents for all of us these days, not just to these lovely people in the progress of their loves, but to all of us for knowing them. So, I just want to say thanks, and cheers to all these happy couples!