Shimmies and similarities

I had the most entertaining weekend I have had in a very long time.  It started Friday night as we enjoyed a lovely wedding ceremony and reception for a childhood friend of our middle child.  They were cheerleaders together in high school, were together all through their elementary, middle and high school years.  It was so nice to have been included and the bride was stunning. 

Now, along with hubs and middle daughter, who’s husband could not attend, we took our two and a half year old princess.  She’s developing her boundaries and showed us a thing or two about who we think we are, anyway.  She was a doll during the ceremony, only a little squirmy, then a pistol at dinner, rejecting her chicken fingers but going whole hog for the bread and butter, and cake.   Then the music started.   Oh my.  She danced, she swayed, she jumped, she spun.  Yes, she crawled on her belly like a reptile at one point.   She walked up to strangers and took them by their hands and wanted to spin.  She forced herself into a circle of dancing nurses (the bride is a NICU nurse) and demanded the attention of each one.  She even danced her way in between the bride and groom and then, took over the groom, leading him away from the laughing, and perplexed, bride.  She was, in a word, precocious.  But, adorably so.  

She also shrugged off Papa, who tried to corral her on the dance floor, apologizing as he scurried after her.  Having none of it, she ran to the next unsuspecting dancer and jumped up and down in front of them.   Each one responded in kind, giving her a twirl and a shimmy.  

The wedding was a beautiful event and brought together two cultures ~ the groom is Serbian.  The women were gorgeous, thin and sparkly.  The men were intense and jovial with each other.  Affection wound its way through each table and group.   I loved every moment of the ceremony, with prayers delivered in two languages. I was honored to be included, and tried to appreciate the subtle similarities, alongside the differences,  in the traditions.  

To watch the two year old, turn her beaming,  fair complexion, blonde haired self to the dark, handsome groom, each of them happy, each of them smiling and appreciative of  the other, warmed me with pleasure.   If we could all find where we stand alike rather than where we stand apart.