New Year’s Eve tends to be a letdown. It is so hyped and feels like it should be the greatest night of both years that it bridges and often ends up being just an overpriced and overcrowded affair with 10 minutes of excitement overshadowed by hassle and cursed with a terrible hangover to begin the next year.
And then there was 2010/2011…
Although we have the opportunity to celebrate NYE every year, this one will remain unique forever. My sister was married at The Country Club in Brookline, Mass. and threw down a serious party to ensure the title of best New Year’s for the rest of my life. It was SO GOOD! Great people, great food, and great fun all came together and put this event over the top. Her husband, and now my brother-in-law, is as good as they come and with a family to match; I am thrilled to see The Taylors and Reiches united. All family members were present for this wedding and as always, I feel so fortunate to be a part of such an amazing clan.
I was charged with delivering a midnight toast, and when the band handed me the mic, I had about two minutes to say what I wanted to say. While I enjoyed the euphoria of the moment with every one else, I was unable to fully express my sentiments on the true beauty of the evening. The hype surrounding New Year’s makes it virtually impossible to appreciate its significance, but a wedding makes it so much clearer. Time is passing always and forever, yet we rarely think about the fact that every moment is a link between past and future. When December 31 turns to January 1, we anticipate and witness this transformation on our watches and calendars; Time becomes visible in a countdown of tension and release; old becomes new and failure becomes hope. A wedding is also a beautiful manifestation of this transformation, as two separate lives become one and begin anew. And while New Year’s Eve brings us in touch with the moment, a wedding brings us in touch with the eternal. It is not about the Here and Now but about the Everywhere and Forever. It is greater than a day, and even a year; it is more than a lifetime and beyond science. It is Love and it carries us every moment of every day from our birth to our death and beyond.
Thank you Sam and Caitlin, for giving us this clarity. Enjoy your Honeymoon and the rest of Eternity.