One wedding day. While I could write about the beauty and love and sweetness of that one day, I decided to write about all the other little things that made that day memorable.

• One rainy day in June, in a summer of hot, sunny days. Outside wedding, with no back-up plans.
• One manicure and pedicure. The bride’s first.
• One ginormous piece of chocolate cake gobbled down by the bride an hour before the ceremony. Nerves. And starvation.
  
• One floppy-hat-wearing woman in a floral dress took over the bride’s bathroom and changing area–and would not leave. Yikes! No place to change!
• One janitor’s closet brimming with mops, down the hall. Bride’s father saved the day and stood guard while she wiggled into her dress, knocking over brooms.
• One hug by a well wisher, pre-ceremony, left one red lipstick stain on the bride-to-be’s puffy sleeve. Club soda needed pronto!
• One dry spell, moments before the ceremony, lifted the clouds so the bride and groom could exchange their vows in sunshine.
• One couple, with the biggest grins you ever saw, standing before 30 people. A small wedding. With big heart.
• One starched groom, who found he was allergic to the starch in the rental tux shirt. Puffy, itchy head-to-belly rash post-ceremony. Only to be cured by 48 hours of honeymoon sunshine.
• One long table with all the swordfish, garlic mashed potatoes, endive salad and three-tiered chocolate cake you could eat. Oh and Robert Mondavi wine all around.
• One hefty restaurant tab for the newly-married couple. Who would take nearly two years to pay off. Independence.
• One drunk chauffeur. Who swerved and sped down the freeway, in the black Towncar, to get the bride and groom to the airport to catch their midnight flight..
• One airport snafu. The plane tickets were in the bride’s married name, yet her passport and driver’s license were in her not-married name. Houston: we have a problem. A stopover in Houston, Texas to plead to the authorities. Have pity on the bride, wearing her jeans and veil on board.
• One red-eye flight to Puerta Vallarta, Mexico. On our wedding night.
• One week off of work from our first out-of-college jobs. Not much vacation time accrued when you’re just starting out.
• One afternoon, upon arrival, with Macarena playing in the background, was one happy couple who passed out from exhaustion, poolside.

One memorable wedding day. And life for this one couple is still just as quirky and funny and love-filled and riddled with goof-ups, 6,935 days later.

This poem, The Prophet On Marriage, was read at my wedding ceremony. Nineteen years ago this year.

In this poem, Khalil Gibran–an author from Lebanon–wrote about togetherness and sharing, but also about being your own person and having your own space.

That Khalil. He was one smart cookie, I mean pita.

The Prophet on Marriage
by Khalil Gibran

Then Almitra spoke again and said…
“And what of Marriage, master?”
And he answered saying:

You were born together,
and together you shall be forevermore.

You shall be together when the white wings
of death scatter your days.

Aye, you shall be together even in the
silent memory of God.

But let there be spaces in your togetherness,
And let the winds of the heavens dance between you.

Love one another, but make not a bond of love.
Let it rather be a moving sea between
the shores of your souls.

Fill each other’s cup but drink not from one cup.
Give one another of your bread but eat not from the same loaf.

Sing and dance together and be joyous,
but let each of you be alone,

Even as the strings of a lute are alone
though they quiver with the same music.

Give your hearts, but not into each other’s keeping.
For only the hand of Life can contain your hearts.

And stand together, yet not too near together.
For the pillars of the temple stand apart.

72 days isn’t the SHORTEST marriage. Check out this article on other short Hollywood weddings.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/celebs/news/2011/10/31/kim-kardashian-to-divorce-after-72-days-top-10-shortest-celebrity-marriages-115875-23528582/

But Kim Kardashian is only 5′ 5″ and a HALF. I mean, who wants to be at armpit height anyway?

I guess I just have a have a short fuse for incredulous spending. See stupid spending post here.

Kim Kardashian: say it isn’t so! Not the divorce. We knew that was coming. But the spending. I am horrified at the frivolous spending. A few numbers to ponder:

1. Kim and what’s-his-name’s wedding cost $10 million;
2. Kim’s engagement ring cost $2 million;
3. Kim and what’s his-name’s wedding cake cost $20,000.

My jaw continues to drop, especially when this money could help spread goodwill and kindness around the globe. Consider this:

1. The $10 million “wedding” could build every family in Haiti a new home;
2. The $2 million ring could fund more than 66,000 flu vaccinations across the United States;
3. The $20,000 cake could fund ecology sustainability projects in South Africa.

Kim, perhaps you should trade in your $1,000 Louboutin heels. And try walking in someone else’s shoes for once.