1985 - Wedding Bells
In which Teófilo muses briefly about marrying the love of his life.
The Big Day
Preparations continued afoot and the big day came. I was staying in a guest room located in the backyard of one of Mercie’s neighbors when I started to dress in my uniform. Papi came to keep me company, something I love and appreciate to this day. He then drove me to Our Lady of Mercies Church, Mercie’s patron saint, to await my bride.
Mercie arrived on time, led by Don Roberto, her father. He gave her away to me. I lifted her veil and, with my friend Orlando as altar server, the priest guided us to recite our marriage vows. Thus, we became ministers of the Sacrament of Matrimony, administering the sacrament to each other with the Church to witness our union in the person of our priest, acting in persona Christi.
Thus we became Man and Wife. The Divine Purpose was verified once again in us:
Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and clings to his wife, and they become one flesh (Genesis 2:24).
We had our reception at a community center near the home of my Best Man and Maid of Honor. There were toasts, and our first dance as husband and wife. Also, many more photos taken of us. In the end our mouth muscles cramped from so much smiling.
We excused ourselves briefly to go and change our clothes. We returned to the reception and stayed a while longer - but not much. Then we excused ourselves by saying we needed to depart to our hotel in Metropolitan San Juan’s Isla Verde ward, or they would cancel our reservations. Everyone accepted the white lie with good humor. In fact, the party took off after we’d left, we’re told.
Then, at the end of that day, we satiated our thirst and found our bliss in the arms of each other.
People often ask me - specially young people - how can one be sure one is in love? It’s difficult to put into words a realization that hit us as lightning strike. Yet, after pondering the question a while I’ve reached the following conclusion: we fell in love with one another the moment we realized the other had seen into one’s true self. Following the moment of mutual insight we felt a bell stroke within, an almost mystical experience of loving and being loved absent all self-interest.
I looked through her beauty and found a heart akin to mine. She looked through my homeliness and saw a heart ready to give itself to her. We realized that looking through each other’s eyes we weren’t what people thought us to be. We saw our true selves reflected on each other’s soul.
Beholding this experience is beholding a kind of nakedness, a nakedness deeper than the one humans achieve by taking off their clothes. It was a spiritual nakedness, which we offered each other as a mutual gift. We awaited in the expectation for the other one to accept it, and we did. Physical nakedness came later but the embrace of mutual, physical giving wouldn’t have taken place with the mutual gift of spiritual nakedness that preceded it.
You are altogether beautiful, my love; there is no flaw in you (Song of Songs 4:7).
Bonus Videos
The music below described our feelings best.
Bajo Un Palmar - Rafael Hernández. Canta Danny Rivera.
Wedding Song - Peter, Paul, and Mary.
A Thousand Years - Christina Perri
Can’t Fight This Feeling Any More - REO Speedwagon.
Unchained Melody - Righteous Brothers
Completamente Enamorados - Cheyenne.
Grow Old Along With Me - John Lennon.
God Only Knows (What I Would Be Without You) - The Beach Boys
We’ve Only Just Begun - The Carpenters.
I’ll Never Find Another You - The Seekers.
Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman? - Bryan Adams.
You’re the Inspiration - Chicago.
No Sabes Cuánto Te Quiero - Camilo Sesto.
Perfect - Ed Sheeran.
The Power of Love - Air Supply.
Glory of Love - Peter Cetera.
The Shape of Us - Ian Britt.
Honeymoon in Puerto Rico - Paul Jabara