"I do"

I just went to one of my best friends' wedding. Picture small Ontario village, nestled by hills, an adorable white United church and the view of the lake. It was great.
The bride, as I expected, was beautiful. The groom, without a fault, was distinguished.
I've never been one who cries a lot, from either intense joy or pain. I remember watching the beloved film "The Titanic" with my cousin. When she burst into tears at the famous scene, I sniffed loudly and tried to look moved. It didn't work.
So I wasn't expecting to burst into tears and muddle my way through the ceremony. I was surprised.
When my friend walked down the aisle, I turned like everybody else and watched this beautiful red-head walk down in her satin dress. Without any warning of any kind, I suddenly had a surge of emotions rush from my gut to the bottom of my throat, or at least that's how it felt like. I wasn't sure if I was going to laugh, cry or vomit... or all three.
Thank God, I managed a feeble smile and everything went on fine.
Weddings, of course, are a major affair. A way of showing to the person you love the most in the world that you want to spend the rest of your life with him or her. They are also a rite of passage, a more fundamental way of revealing yourself as an adult, as an individual, as a bound being.
Many of my friends wouldn't think about getting married. Some have been disillusioned by the rates of divorce or horror stories, others find the matter too complicated and binding. On the other hand, other friends are ready to commit themselves for life.
When the couple exchanged vows, I was struck by the seriousness of the affair (not that it had escaped my notice before). To pledge, in front of your family, friends and the being you believe in, that you are prepared to stand by the other for ever is really the most anyone can pledge. An act of love, an act of courage, an act of blind hope, an act of beauty.