WINDOWS TO HEAVEN

“I’ve waited for so long, to sing to you this song…” Noreen crooned in the sweetest, most heartfelt key of D, as in “Devotion,” before all her family and friends, to her new husband Mike. “Your eyes are the windows to heaven, your smile could heal a million souls,” she continued in perfect melody as she looked upon the face of her future.

Yes, this was wedding #6 of 7 for me this year and, despite what many may think, no it hasn’t gotten old and its effects certainly haven’t waned one bit…at least not with me. When you witness something deeply inviting to the heart, and it’s happening to someone as deserving of its euphoric sentimentality as Noreen, you don’t think twice about feeling a certain glow inside yourself. It was a warming feeling that took hold quickly, and magnified with every moment that came to pass that one Saturday in autumn…

Moments like the first time we saw her standing outside the church doors, with her parents holding her by each arm as she waited in serene anticipation to walk the aisle that would lead her to a new life with Mike; moments like their vows, which had Fr. Pat asking Mike to speak louder and Noreen proclaiming her promise in the clearest, most enthusiastic of voices (no microphone necessary); moments where every mention of “husband & wife” lit Noreen’s face with a smile even brighter than the one she usually wears; moments like Noreen dancing with her dad and Mike dancing with his mom, like a rite of passage allowing their parents to bid farewell to these children, only to say welcome to the adults who they hope they’ve raised right; moments like a bride turned wife singing to her groom turn husband, and the gaze they shared with one another so saturated with love, it overflowed into the senses of those who watched around them.

It really was like looking through a window into heaven, with all its pureness of heart permeate in the air and an angelic voice resounding praise and thanksgiving for this new gift of love.
Congratulations Noreen and Mike!