Symmetry, confluence, harmonic convergence and things like that

It was another life highlight day. We were privileged to share it with close friends and family. Here are the remarks I made at a celebratory dinner following our marriage ceremony tonight.

Even if Mark Twain never actually said “history doesn’t repeat, but it sometimes rhymes”, we have noticed a few verses of our recent life that are clearly rhyming.

Start with this one: We had a beautiful commitment ceremony ten years ago on Poldi’s 60^th birthday. Many of you were there! And today, we just got married on my 70^th birthday! Now, on each of our birthdays we will also be celebrating an anniversary!

Poldi’s son Hoan got married to Grace earlier this year; they figure prominently in the rhyming. The very judge that married them in January, married us tonight. [But actually, it was his backup; Judge Wahl suffered a traffic accident this afternoon and could not preside].

Poldi was a legal witness to their marriage, and today, Hoan signed the documents for his mom’s marriage. And then, Derek signed the documents for his dad’s marriage. A nice symmetry on several dimensions.

Poldi’s son Attiss with Cassy and daughter Violet, is also here, rhyming with their visit last year spending the summer with us. One year later, they are now married as of two weeks ago!

Her other son Shal is part of this confluence of weddings too. Shal and Sarah couldn’t make it tonight—they have a two-week-old newborn. Their marriage was a year ago, and it started a cascade: Shal, Hoan, then Attiss, and now their mother! All within one year.

Derek represents an almost parallel life to mine in this last decade. We both encountered new relationships at about the same time: smart attractive women that set high bars for their attention and affection. At the time, I was taking on the challenge of renovating an old house; Derek was taking on the challenge of a new career as a math teacher (which do you think is harder?) The new relationships worked; we cared, we collaborated, we clicked, and what had once been hard was now easy. He proposed marriage to Amy, and a month later, Poldi and I had our commitment ceremony. This is another generational rhyme!

Max and Karin were the officiants of that commitment ceremony. I recall being asked “is it legal?”. I didn’t have a good answer other than to say it wasn’t illegal. And now Karin and Max are helping us celebrate the day that we actually do become legally married. Is that a coincidence?

As a final rhyme, at my first wedding, my best man and lifelong friend, Rich McMartin, gave me a stone sphere; it was one of his treasures carved and polished by his dad. It is a beautiful piece that reminds me of the planet Jupiter, and I have cherished it ever since. Tonight, at my second wedding, I am presenting a stone sphere to him in return. I think it looks like an ice planet. We’re now both 70. I don’t think he will have as many years to enjoy it as I have had to enjoy his.

We are really pleased that our close friends and children can see and be part of the happiness that Poldi and I have found with each other. We thank you for sharing in our celebration tonight!