I’ve been singing one of the songs from “The Wizard of Oz”.

Said song is sung at Emerald City when Dorothy and her bedraggled companions are buffed and shined and curled and stuffed up in order to meet the Wizard.

I am not meeting the Wizard this weekend.  Rather, I am participating in the preparations for one of our children’s weddings.

Cooper’s youngest daughter Julia is marrying a most lovely young man.  They are mature and excited and organized and after a year plus of planning, the big weekend commences on Thursday.

In one room on Saturday night will be parents and grands and children and aunts and uncles and friends who make life whole.

Cooper will be in a tux.  This is no small thing.

And the rest of us?  We have been scurrying here and there finding THE right clothes to wear. To go with THE right clothes the right doo-dads had to be found and hair cuts commenced and nails done and all those other things that go into making a person feel good.  All of these most serious pursuits have been shoe-horned into the living of these days.  

We are off tomorrow night to do this celebrating.

It has been gift, this preparing.  All along it has been fun to imagine the joy of the day and the fun of being kin and kindreds who have come together to bless Julia and Clint.

A new thing is beginning.  Julia and Clint’s coming together is built upon years of loving and praying and hoping and it is high holy courage act, the joining of hearts for life.

And by golly, those who are there to lend prayers and laughter will be buffed and stuffed and shining with love.