So, tomorrow will be a special day.

My youngest is about to get married to a wonderful gal.  It also means all of my children have found wonderful partners with whom they share their lives.

Daniel and Stefanie met after they graduated from college.  (He from Michigan, she from Vanderbilt.)  They were both living in Manhattan (and still do).  As a matter of fact, the wedding will be in Manhattan, as well.

I wrote about their engagement last year.  (In Jewish circles, this is called Eirosin.)  Daniel proposed to Stefanie at the David Arthur Vineyards in California.  And, he ensured the parents were present, so the melding of the families could begin.

There’s been lots of preparation.  Choosing the verbiage for the k’tuva, the Jewish wedding contract.   Getting two licenses from the City of New York- one for the rabbi to officiate, as well as  their marriage certificate, that will be recorded with the authorities, once the wedding ceremony is completed.)

The chuppa- the wedding canopy- was also made.  Using talitot (prayer shawls) from both sides of the family, another process of union.

Daniel and Stefanie wrote their own vows, that will be part and parcel of the wedding service.  Along with the Jewish rituals.

Oh, yeah. Stefanie and Daniel asked me to do them the honors, to officiate at their wedding.   A true honor.  The biggest issue will be to control myself, to endeavor not to break into tears of joy as I help them join together.

I’ve worked out the ceremony, found ways to bring the time of year and the cycles of Judaism to provide even more weight to their auspicious event.

It’s going to be a wonderful time.

 

Today is also the 56th anniversary of the assassination of President John Kennedy.  For we boomers, we know exactly where we were when we heard, exactly what we did that day.

Just like the couple getting married have their seminal disaster; 9-11, where they, too, remember exactly where they were when they heard, and exactly what they did that day.  (My son also added last night that he recalled exactly what he was doing and where when President Obama announced that Osama bin Laden had been killed.  I do, too-  I was one of the 40000 screaming fans at the Phillies-Mets baseball game that was interrupted [in the 10th inning- which is not mentioned in the video below]- it ended in the 14th inning.)

May these disasters disappear from our vocabulary.

And, mazal tov to the fantastic couple.