![[Paul & Elaine]](/stars.jpg)
Dear friends and family. Thank you all so much for joining us on this wonderful day in Paul and Elaine's life. When one thinks of an exchange of "vows" one of course thinks about how it is an exchange of promises, an agreement, a sort of "legal" communication.
However, the meaning of such an exchange goes incredibly deeper than the obvious. The exchange which is about to take place is about the opening of two hearts and the melding of their essence, about two souls that intertwine with one another, and about two people with a special love that binds them together... publicly acclaiming their love for one another as they exchange their vows, here and now in front of all of us.
Elaine... Paul... with my love and the blessing of all of us assembled here today, we wish you happiness, peace and long life. Paul... if you would be so kind as to begin....
I promise to share my hopes and dreams, to embrace your hopes and dreams and help them come true;
to accept and respect your uniqueness and love you as an equal;
to listen intently and communicate honestly and thoughtfully;
to encourage you with tenderness and laughter;
to support you gently and patiently;
to be understanding and forgiving, ever grateful for the changes you have brought to my life.
Our moments together are eternal, as we work toward our common goals.
Traditionally, this is done to remind us that even at our moment of joy there is an element of sadness in our lives as the Temple in Jerusalem is destroyed, all we have left is the Western Wall.
However, I've interpreted this to have a wider meaning... that we feel sadness for all those living under repressive regimes, suffering from hunger, or finding themselves in the midst of war... it serves to remind us that as joyous as we are in our lives, we should never forget the less fortunate.
[CRASH]