The Sanctity of Marriage- Our Wedding Day

As I waited in anticipation a myriad of emotions engulfed me. This was the day, the day the I had been waiting for from the first conversation I ever had with this woman. The day I could see my mother and family members take a sigh of relief knowing that I truly was going to be alright and things in the past were being moved there. The day that completion would take place within the lives of two people who evidently have been dancing on the fringes of each others lives for over 21 years yet had never met. Today I understand that our spirits have been mingling and engaging each other for years so us being together is no longer a surprise to each other.

As I stand there waiting for the doors to open I am totally oblivious to the sights and sounds that are cascading around. All that matters right now is seeing the woman I'm going to spend the rest of my life with, the woman that I cherish, the woman that I love from a place deep within me that I never knew even existed. If anyone would have asked me just what I thought she would look like or how beautiful she would be and for me to describe it, I would have not given her the justice that she would have deserved. As her bridal party walked the aisle, my first thoughts were even though they were beautiful as well I wanted them to hurry up because I was more than ready to see the woman that before family, friends and Allah was agreeing to accompany me through this life and the next.

While I waited I reflected on some of the words we had with each other just hours before the ceremony. Life for the both of us has been quite challenging in the past and neither one of us had any hopes, any aspirations to really pursue a relationship with anyone, much less committing to another individual. So, when I finally saw her standing in the doorway of the venue I had to remind myself to breathe because that first glance at her talk everyone of them from my lungs. Never in my life had I seen a more beautiful, a more regal, a more enchanting woman in my whole life. From her headpiece, to the gown, to the shoes, she was the epitome of what a bride should represent and look like.

As her nephew guided her in my direction my heart began to beat faster because I knew the reason why we were there but it hit me full force as she continued down the aisle. As her nephew passed her to her brother half way down the aisle I began to see the wisdom as to why she wanted to be escorted this way. Because as her brother passed her to her cousin these three men represented 3 distinct phases in her life that she was stepping out of and into simultaneously.

Finally, she stood in front of me looked me in my eyes and spoke a language that I had never heard, yet understood every word. I guided her to her seat, yes her seat because we were having an Islamic ceremony and as the Imam began speaking I found that I couldn't take my eyes off of her. It was hard to focus and listen to the Iman perform the ceremony because the vision of Queenly essence that was sitting in front of me was distracting me. Theresa and I said that we were going to write our own vows when it came to that part, but it seems that both of us decided to just say what was on our hearts, and we did. I knew that she loved me, but I never understood the depths of her love and respect for me until I heard these melodic words float from lips to my ears. In fact I didn't even know the depths of my own love and respect for her until I began to speak. Tears loitered in the corners of my eyes and I almost choked up, but I pushed past and finished.

As the Imam congratulated us and gave the go ahead to salute my wife we shared a kiss that both of us had been storing, been holding onto for this very moment. It was a kiss of divine love, devotion between two people who knew that there was nothing or no one who could break this apart, except us. And since that wasn't our agenda we had nothing to worry about. Now understand what the late great Teddy Pendergrass was singing about when he said "It feels good loving somebody, when somebody loves you back", yeah I definitely know.