Love and Public Speaking

My friend Jen got MARRIED!!!  You've met her--she's my zip-lining, horseback riding adventures partner!  And she got MARRIED!!!  Her hubby, Kris, is the precious fella in the pics with her on the horseback-riding adventure, and now her name is Mrs. Jennifer Michelle Tuebel (pronounced Tie-bull).  Her wedding was this past Saturday, and guess what?  I participated in her wedding!  For the first time ever, I had a speaking role in a wedding; I've been bridesmaid and maid of honor before, but those roles do not require any speaking.  In front of people.  A crowd, even, of people.  Gulp.  Here's how it happened . . . .

Two years ago, around Valentine's Day, my student teacher Emilie Turner nee Russell and I were talking about love poetry, and I shared with her my favorite poem of all time.  It is "[i carry your heart with me (i carry it in)]," and it is by e.e. cummings, the best love poetry writer of all time.  Seriously.  This man knew how to write about love.  So I pulled the poem up on the Promethean Board to show Emilie, and Jen was visiting in my room when I said out loud, "This poem should be read at every wedding ever."

And then, Jen got engaged.  And she remembered about this poem.  And she asked ME to read it!!  Gah!

Oof.  Listen, I try very hard never to go to weddings.  I'm pretty sure my aversion to weddings began in the early nineties, when, for no good reason, weddings began at, like, two or four in the afternoon, when the ceremony happened, and then there were dinners at about five, and then we were all expected to stay and celebrate until close to midnight.  Ugh.  I love my friends, and I have nothing but sincere wishes for happy lives spent together, but I don't want to party for ANYONE for twelve hours.  That's about ten hours too many.  Even if there's cake.

But this is Jen, and she's very dear to me, and I was completely honored and humbled, actually, that she asked me to be a part of her Big Day, and so I said that I would indeed read my fave poem at her wedding.  Even if that meant that I'd be in front of a crowd of guests who could hear me and see me.  Even after years and years of teaching, coaching, and Sunday School lessoning, I still have a pretty strong fear of public speaking, especially when there's a chance I could stumble and stutter and RUIN EVERYTHING.  But a promise is a promise, and I showed up in a dress that coordinated with Jen's wedding colors and read this poem:

i carry your heart with me(i carry it in

my heart)i am never without it(anywhere

i go you go, my dear; and whatever is done

by only me is your doing, my darling)

                                                      i fear

no fate(for you are my fate, my sweet)i want

no world(for beautiful you are my world, my true)

and it’s you are whatever a moon has always meant

and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows

(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud

and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows

higher than soul can hope or mind can hide)

and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)

Now.  A word about this poem.  It must be read aloud to be appreciated, and it is important to know that e.e. cummings was completely in love when he wrote it, so there really is a woman who is his darling and dear and sweet, which I am convinced makes the poem that much more meaningful.  And knowing how much Jen and Kris love each other, I was happy to contribute these immortal words to the loving atmosphere of the day.  Behold!  I have pics--be sure to "awwwww" over how sweet Jen and Kris are reacting. . . .

Are they not THE MOST PRECIOUS??  All photo creds go to my bestie, Michele, who had orders to take "discreet pics to use on my blog!"  And I did not stumble even once.  Whew.  Take a look--I'm in the program, too!

So, a bloggy toast to my dear friend Jen, who is starting her new life with her new hubby with all the well-wishes and blessings I can think of!  Congrats, dear heart, and best of luck in Nashville!!