The Meaning Of A Vow

You're in love. You're ga-ga. Let's face it... you're both crazy! Yet you somehow summoned the presence of mind to make a life-changing decision: to get married. When the chemistry is right between two people, and there seems no other clear path than to tie the knot, the time is ripe for marriage. Amid the general confusion and effusion and delusion, this is probably the only really serious decision you're capable of at the moment, as a couple. It's natural, it's right, it's obvious. Now all you have to do is back up your vows...with a lifetime of love. Simple? Not hardly. Love comes on strong, grabs you both by the lapels and shakes until the rings fall out of your pockets. It's just the nature of the beast. But that does not diminish the lifetime of dedication and respect two people willingly give each other long after the crazed-in-love period wanes. Whether you write your vows or repeat the time-honored, "Till death do us part" phrases, just take a moment, before you make your promises, to reflect upon the words you choose to say to each other. Maybe you gravitate toward Aristotle's famous quote, "Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies." Maybe you came across Thomas Moore's idea, "Marriage is an Athenic weaving together of families, of two souls with their individual fates and destinies, of time and eternity--everyday life married to the timeless mysteries of the soul." Or possibly you both prefer the lighter, albeit somehow more poignant, perspective of Winnie the Pooh: "If there ever comes a day when we can't be together keep me in your heart, I'll stay there forever." Whatever you decide to promise, mean it with every fiber of your being. The meaning of your wedding depends upon the depths of your sincerity. And your journey together on Planet Earth does too.