Kinship

Dear Baby Sestak, Welcome to the world!  When you’re old enough to read, and becoming interested in your parents as people–as Jon & Annie–here you’ll find one version of the day on which they were married, December 14, 3013. How I met your dad, and why I think he is awesome:  2003.  Co-Choir.  The story began.  On a scale of one to ten, Jon gives hugs that go to eleven.  He enjoys nothing more than seeing people happy, except perhaps disappearing for six months at a time to go on hikes and commune with nature.  On choir tour, we combined these two loves of his into a segment called, “Happy Trees,” where Jon read us reflections on nature he’d recorded in his journal and taught us all how to survive plane crashes and mountain lion attacks.  Jon also has the honor of being the guy who explained to me that beer is not Beer, as a singular thing, but rather

read more Four weddings and a flash mob: Part 5/5

This past year, I had the absolute pleasure of watching not two, not four, but ten of my friends (five couples) get married. Each wedding was beautiful, encapsulating, and at times quite funny for their own specific reasons, and I thought it might be nice to write a lighthearted, retrospective series of posts that consider each ceremony, in turn. I decided to do this for a few reasons: First, I’m doing this as a way of honoring each pair as they celebrate their first set of holidays as newlyweds.  And also as a way of thanking each couple for inviting me to be a part of their respective marriages. I feel like guests tend to forget after the ceremony is over, and the pictures are up on Facebook, that a marriage is something quite spiritual (sacred or secular) to be a part of. It is a privilege to have someone ask you to witness their vows.  And it’s a real

read more Four weddings and a flash mob: an introduction