After the wedding of our son, Sunir, to Shannon on Saturday,11 October 2008, we were in Toronto during the weekend of 15 /16 November 2008.
At that time we were delighted to know of an article recently written by Kathy (Shannon’s mom) for her church’s newsletter (titled ” Community Life” , winter 2008 edition – scroll to Page 5 for Kathy’s article).
The article has very nicely described the sentiments evoked by Sunir/Shannon’s wedding – and relating/contrasting these sentiments to modern times of iPod and various gadgets that engulf modern young generation.
The article is posted below:
Family Ties Winter 08 528
I do! I do!
At my daughter”™s recent wedding, I noticed a young relative holding her iPhone in her palm. I reflected that in my case, the equivalent technology would have taken up the space of a banquet table: clunky wall phone, desktop computer monitor, CPU, keyboard and modem, stereo system with tape and CD players and two large speakers (not to mention several shelves of CDs), a camera and at least 25 photo albums.
You get the idea. No way could I take all that to my daughter”™s wedding!
Technology plays a role in weddings these days, with most couples having wedding websites, online gift registries and so on, but most of what goes on at a wedding is timeless. Everyone said the bride looked radiant. Her sisters made beautiful bridesmaids. It was a joyous occasion but many people cried.
I was certainly sniffling as I heard familiar words intoned: “as long as you both shall live”, “I now pronounce you husband and wife” and, of course, “I do.”
Despite the technology that they embrace, young people today seem more traditional than their parents in some ways, insisting on dad walking the bride down the aisle, the couple cutting the cake, the bride throwing her bouquet. In our case, Indian traditions were incorporated as well. The bride and groom “tied the knot” ”“ joining their long scarves ”“ and circled the fire four times together, kicking a stone each round to symbolize the difficulties in their path that they would overcome as a couple.
The Seven Steps, which are like the vows in a Hindu ceremony, seemed to resonate with everyone in the room, as the couple made a promise with each step, such as to be companions for life, to accumulate wealth by honourable means and to raise strong, noble children. I can only imagine how those words touched the groom”™s parents, as they recalled their own vows and watched their strong and noble son repeat the same words!
Readers may recall that my spouse and I have had numerous wedding rings. Maybe we misplaced or discarded a few. But I”™d be the first to say that the ring is a powerful symbol of love and commitment.
No parent could hear a child say the old-fashioned but touching words, “With this ring, I thee wed” without tears welling up. I surely couldn”™t. I will never know what I was thinking, taking only two tissues with me to the ceremony!
No doubt the world will continue to be bombarded with new techie gadgets and old fogies will fail to keep up. Young people will laugh at their parents who don”™t have an iCar or an iView or whatever the latest advance is called. But really, doesn”™t “I do” trump “iPod” any day? There are few things more powerful than witnessing a promise between two people to commit themselves to a relationship for life.
Marriage is a sacred, eternal ritual that transcends age, culture and religion. It hasn”™t died out yet because it touches something very basic in human nature ”“ the desire for love, companionship and family ties. Who thinks it will outlast the iPod? I do!