Witnessing other people's moments

Last night I attended the wedding of a good friend and coworker. It was a beautiful wedding -- outdoors even. The wedding was held in a grassy field adjacent to an octagonal barn built in the mid 1850s. The wedding party was dressed formally -- black, white and a rich red. Flowers included deep red roses mixed with bright orange Gerber daisies. The ceremony was very quick, but still meaningful.

Rain was just seconds away, so we moved inside the old barn -- what an amazing structure. Old timbers support this 2-story, once more traditionally functional barn. The structure is quite sound, even after 155 years. The octagonal pattern on the floor was mirrored on the ceiling. The painstaking detail in the joint-work, hardware and other craftsmanship was noticeable, even to he who lacks significant home improvement skills.

The usual fare was served -- hor'deurves, micro-brew, wine, BBQ chicken, etc. The tables were dressed with white linen and flowers -- oh, and playing cards with a black & white image of the Bride and Groom standing outside of the barn. All very tasteful and elegant, but that's not the reason I am posting this entry...

While seated and waiting for the ceremony to begin, a young couple with their baby were seated a couple rows in front of me. He was dressed in a sports jacket, slacks and brown leather shoes. She was dressed in all black, with a 3/4 length black coat and sage green suede hat -- think Princess Di in one of those "I don't hunt fox with hounds, but if I did, this would be the hat I would wear" outfits. Their baby girl was dressed in a coordinating green 2-piece cotton suit. Dad, Mom and baby made a beautiful family -- and not just for the coordination and care in their clothing selection, perfect wedding etiquette or grooming. They sat quietly making faces at each other, play-biting fingers, holding the baby in the air just a foot over Dad's shoulders, and speaking that all-too-cartoon-like baby-talk to this maybe three month-old miracle. It took just three stolen glances before my eyes passed word to my brain that Mom's decision to wear a hat was likely cemented by her bald head. Although purely speculation, I assume Mom has recently undergone radiation treatment for cancer. Had it not been for my inquisitive eyes, nothing about this family unit would have indicated that they were in the midst of a battle against something as blindly evil as cancer.

The "moment" I witnessed wasn't on the lawn while outdoors, but inside as the DJ playing a classic Frank Sinatra song "I Only Have Eyes for You". Dad and daughter danced while Mom held out her arms, taking two steps back, then two steps forward. The smell of the old barn barely existed over the smell of steam rising off dinner as it was sitting on the buffet. The family moved in candle-lit unison, all smiling while seemingly oblivious to the rest of us also dancing under the barn's two-story section, windows high above us displaying a dark blue night sky.

Standing there watching the young family, I was warmed by their strength and love for one another. They were out enjoying what the world had to offer, participating in this joyous event, and unintentionally showing me that the thoughts passing through my head just prior to their taking the floor were of little importance or great meaning. This was most certainly their moment, but I felt very fortunate to have been able to share it with them, whether they noticed me looking or not.