Watching Derek walk down the church aisle beside Naomi one could see he was a taller feller now, maybe by a foot or two, and stronger somehow, liked he’d just had a whole can of spinach. Naomi was stunningly beautiful like a fairy princess from a Hobbit movie. Seeing them wed together brought the thought of destiny to mind, like God still walks on the earth and this union was preordained by unseen force.
The reception was at the Quay in New Westminister. As Naomi and Derek love to travel and were set to depart on a travelling honeymoon the theme was international. Every table had a little globe with lonely planet books under it. Laura and I found ourselves at the Indonesia table with friends of Naomi and Derek’s. A lovely young fascinating couple had just flown in from Germany and sat across from us. Beside me I talked with a funny and brilliant young couple who worked in physiotherapy and speech therapy. They played music together in the evenings, her piano, him guitar. We talked about classic music and chamber music. I had the briefest awkward moment when I mentioned “Proud Mary”. Beside them were a truly spectacular couple who Laura and I suspected modelled business fashion in Milan. Laura and I conspired all evening to steal their utterly adorable precious little baby. She wore a little pink sweater with gold lame booties and had a red head band with a red flower. She was all yawns and smiles.
Dereks gorgeous sister had been an airline stewardess. We were all given hilarious instructions for the “flight” where the exits were and what to do in case of emergencies. All the while the bridesmaid husband dressed in kilt and scottish regalia pointed out exits and demonstrated putting on party masks in case of a drop in attitude. Speeches followed. Derek’s mom had found his battered and torn childhood teddy bear and presented this to the couple. We learned that his sister had named Derek “Supersnoop” as a child. Naomi whooped with laughter. Naomi's mom and brother told of her childhood in the country and her many accomplishments. She is obviously far more than a pretty face.
As Derek and Naomi love breakfast ,the time they always take together for each other, the feast was a breakfast feast of eggs bennies, sausages, bacon, everything breakfast. As I too love breakfast best I was in heaven.
Naomi has a dance group and they were all there for a fun ballroom performance. It concluded with Derek strutting in and stealing the lead dancer from the troupe. After that everyone was on the dance floor. Party hats, tinsel hair, wings, inflated air guitars, air saxophones, and elton john glasses! Everyone was costumed at some time in the night. It was truly a young people dance and us in the older crowd loved joining in. Laura and I danced to Johnny Be Good at half tempo. It was one of the slower numbers.
Later we enjoyed standing on the cool balcony chatting with family watching the boats on the river. It was a thoroughly enjoyable evening so I didn’t complain once about missing my couch, NCIS or Hawaii 5:0. Laura and I danced more that night than we each had danced in a whole year.
Derek had been my personal trainer after my foot injury and once again had shown me the joy of bodies in motion.
With all the dancers, physical therapists, occupational therapists, with all their physical zest and laughter, I remembered medical school when we as interns and residents with haggard cadaverous looks from nights of calls and endless study gathered together to watch our fellow health care workers wondering if we’d not made a terrible error in choosing medicine. The poor Nanaimo doctor whose place was beside ours at the table was called away from this best of times to save some life. Truly a tragedy. Being at this wedding and reception was the best play therapy ever.
Thank you Derek and Naomi. May God’s blessings go with you all life’s journeys.
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