It was my pleasure to go to both a wedding and a baby shower last weekend. Throw in the joy of playing for church, and watching my girls dance their hearts out on stage and it was pretty much as good as it gets. The couple getting married were part of both the mentoring program last year, and one of our marriage groups. Being in their cheering squad brings the kind of delight that runs deep. Plus watching her father walk her up the aisle, and then turn to officiate for the ceremony was tender indeed. 

 

The shower guests included the friends of the new parents, both male and female, as well as oldsters like me who have watched them grow up. It probably gets annoying for twenty somethings to hear people say "I remember when you were born!" but it is sweet to be on the side of recollection.

 

The gift registry had directed me to websites offering organic jammies, cloth diapers and wool soakers. I smiled. Back in the eighties I used such things on my own babies, and had no idea that they would come back in vogue. To follow their wishes for an environmentally low impact wardrobe, I choose not to use new fabric. Instead I cut up two of the twins much loved dresses, and made them in a smaller size. 

 

I wonder if fabric holds on to love? The ballerina dresses were among their favorites. The other had less wear. The print was of balloons and cake, and they only wore them to birthday parties. One of the little girls at the shower inherited another of the twins' dresses, and I caught a glimpse of her wearing it the day before. 

 

Love can be illusive. Hearts show up on cards, as do smiles. But the emotion is wider than that. It saturates such gestures as a father taking his daughter's arm and escorting her into her new life. Love is visible in the soft knitted blanket one woman makes for another's firstborn child.