WEDDINGS

Since Sunday the Bay Area has had awful awful storms. Torrential rains, hail, thunder and lightening, winds above gale force and gusts at hurricane level. Being out was miserable and dangerous. And it seemed we had to be out everyday.

Wednesday at breakfast (we don't really eat breakfast, we do juice, pills, and coffee) I told Marty I didn't want to go do weddings. I would have to walk in the rain from the parking garage and I would be a wet soggy mess. But I would go because I had made the commitment. Sweet Marty said he would take me and come back for me. I told him no one would show up on such an awful day. We went.

I sat and read for almost two hours. I was bored and sleepy. And then I had three couples to marry. There was a break in the weather and we had people.

Every one was dressed for the weather. No thin white dresses in sight.

The first couple was from Bhoutan. They didn't speak much English, but understood it very well. We picked a short ceremony where I did most of the talking. That way they didn't have the stress of trying to speak a second language. They were sweet and in love. And very happy when it was all over.

One couple had their little boy with them. He was so cute on the elevator (which has railings on each side). He insisted that his parents and the witness hold onto the railings while it was moving. And then he gave me a look to check if I held on, I did. When we went back down to the lobby, there were others on the elevator. He told all of them to hold on also. And those three men did.

Another couple was really interesting. They were in their early thirties and had been together 12 years. As we waited for the Marriage Desk Clerk to come in and witness the ceremony, we talked. They told me they had been through a lot of ups and downs. They had been pushed to go on and marry. But it never felt right until now. They talked about how marriage is a hard lifetime commitment. They understood that marriage is not a 50/50 deal. That many days it is 90/10. They were well grounded and knew what they were doing. I wish all my couples had their maturity.