Tuesday, July 15, 2014

The Subtlety of Love

I recently witnessed my brother marry his now wife in a wedding that made my heart swell. It was a gorgeous wedding between two people I love so much. The celebration was filled with loud laughter, sweaty dancing, and sincere congratulations to the new couple.

And while I love weddings and hearing vows and witnessing people promise the rest of their lives to each other, it's the little almost-unnoticed things that capture my heart. Minutes before the wedding ceremony, I was in a room with the bride and her older sister. I was watching them talk softly to each other. The older sister said something to make my sister-in-law (SIL) smile. It was a quiet joke, something just between the two of them and probably something only the two of them understand. I could see my SIL visibly relax. Then, it was time for the bride to put on her veil. There was no photographer there, this was a moment just for the bride and her sister.

I remember the stillness of the moment, the relaxed silence void of the sound of a camera clicking. The moment would go by undocumented but remembered. Gently, the older sister placed the veil on my SIL and smiled at her. There were no words, but the love was loud. It was simply a moment of an older sister loving on her younger sister.

It's these tender moments. The moments that are not always capturedthe shared smiles between friends, soft conversations between lovers, inside jokes between sisters, gentle kisses from a motherthat make my heart soar. Love is grand, yes. There are moments that deserve attention and big celebrations. But love is also gentle. Sometimes it is quiet and soft. It can drift by unnoticed by a stranger. And if you don't take time to see it, you'll miss it.

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