We Live for Days Like This

I watched my sister get married on a glacier in Alaska yesterday, and it was probably one of the most unique experiences I've yet had in my life.

It was beautiful, exotic, and I felt like I was in an episode of The Bachelorette.  Minus that whole fake element, of course.  And the cheesy-ness.  And the completely ridiculous premise.  Okay, nothing like The Bachelorette at all, really.  But the experience was unforgettable.

Despite the extraordinary circumstances--and if you've ever been on a glacier, you know how extraordinary those circumstances can be, and if you haven't, think of icy dunes merged with a lunar landscape, along with striking green mountains in the distance and bright blue streams of water running everywhere, and think of the fact that you're standing on hundreds upon hundreds of feet of ice moving lethargically and painstakingly slowly beneath your feet, and you may get an inkling of what I'm talking about--but yes, despite the extraordinary circumstances, what I loved most about the day was how easily I could see how happy my sister's new husband made her.  Their affection for each other was effortless and genuine, on a level I don't see very often, if I've ever seen it at all.  They were confident enough in their love to completely let their guard down and allow the rest of us to glimpse the world they have created for each other.  I've been to a lot of weddings, most of them beautiful, many of them where the couple were very obviously in love, and it was wonderful.  But what I saw yesterday was rare.  Sure, my view might be skewed--she is my sister, after all.  But the fact that the day did belong to my sister, and that I did feel the way I did about the two of them, makes me more happy than I can possibly articulate.

I'll avoid going on and on about how remarkable the day was; things like this deserve the respect of brevity.  So here's to Deja and Ben, and the life they're creating together.