11.01.2004

Must be the Season of the Witch
It is always an enormous joy and honor to attend a wedding. An honor: to be in attendance when a couple makes public their declaration of love; and a joy: to be reminded of our own loves and commitments. Just as a funeral can be seen as ritual for the living and not the deceased, so too can a wedding be a gift to the attendants from the bride and groom.

That comparison may seem a little dark, but Jeff and Marisa threw a Halloween-themed masquerade, complete with a
Jack Skellington and Sally cake, a masked ball, and renaissance gala. Jeff and Marisa carried themselves with grace and poise throughout the evening, smoothly integrating the different groups of friends and families, translating for those of us that don't speak Italian (or was it Spanish?), and absorbing the stress of a masquerade, bi-lingual, fantasy, Halloween wedding.

I had the opportunity to meet some of the great folks that stop in to Choose Death from time to time. An internet-deprived
Josh Wentz was in attendance as a best man, Lara and Ed came in from Indiana, we all had a chance to dance with the talented ladies of the Five Wits, and of course, actually meet the bride and groom.

Quite the social watershed, considering I've only exchanged email with this entire crowd. We live in amazing times.

We finished the evening as darkness fell upon West Point, strains of Argentinian-techno (!?) fading into the rustle of autumn leaves. A late-night run across 3 states gave me the chance to pull all the mental faculties back together, and to appreciate what it means to have wedding in a season of coming darkness.

Thank you, Jeff and Marisa, for having us, and I hope to see you all again soon. Blessings on your union.

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