How much do I admire this mother reaching out to her son? As much as I admire this son, and his compassionate response to her seeking. Meet my guest for today’s Marriage Project:
I have been known to be a softy for movies designed to make you cry, sentimental moments, and experiences of pure joy that lead to tears. Only once in my life however, can I say that I bawled at a wedding ceremony, and it was when my “moms” got married. Now, the reason I write it as “moms” is because these two women are not my parents, and in fact are only a few years older than me, but when I was a freshman in college they looked out for me, fed me, and made sure I was alright. They were, in effect, my college mothers. This past July I stood in a beautiful chapel in Riverside California as I watched my moms make a life time commitment to each other in sickness, health, better, worse, the whole bit. I cried out of pure joy. We danced the night away with parents, siblings, cousins, friends, and loved ones at our sides, celebrating the love they shared. This was a wedding to be remembered.
This is the kind of event that I want possible, not just for myself but for everyone in my life. That this kind of joy and togetherness can be shared. As my family makes baby steps, realizing slowly but surely that I will some day get married, so does our community as acceptance and understanding grows. I hope that every parent can turn to their child, as my mother did me this weekend, and ask the simple questions. “Are you seeing anyone?” “What is she/he like?” “Do you want to get married some day?” Okay maybe that last one isn’t so simple, but you get the idea. My mother took the time, put herself knowingly into an awkward situation, and reached out to her son. She even asked for my patience as she works on full understanding, but says that she wants to be there. I fully believe that one day my mother will have a front row seat at my wedding ceremony and dance with me at the reception.
Ian Sullivan
Spokane/Kirkland, WA
