Jubilant Smiles

Jubilant: adj.  showing great joy, satisfaction, or triumph; rejoicing; exultant

What better place to see jubilation than at a wedding.  Since my Wordless Wednesday this week was about Lupus Awareness,  I thought it only fitting that the weekly photo challenge considering jubilant would include a joyous moment with the one who suffers from Lupus.

When I first introduced you to Jami, as my dad’s sister, I guess that doesn’t acknowledge the fact that she’s my aunt.  This is because that was never a title used between us.  On occasion we were Be-Fri’s (taken from one side of a best friends charm), sometimes we were BRA’s (we got a good giggle out of this one standing for best relatives always), and as happens between kids raised so closely we could also at times be considered bickering siblings at best and frenemies at worst.

We had lots of laughter when we got together. She moved next door to me when we were 12.  We created lots of memories that I have fun reminiscing about and will continue to share.  We went to middle school together when I was in 8th grade and she was in 7th (this was because I started school early.) We were in chorus together.  One of the songs that year was Stand by Me.  We took to the song and decided it was our song.  We would go on our walks and sing this song (for the record, she can sing- I cannot).  We would drift apart and come together and drift apart and come together again throughout our teens.

In April of 1999, I got married.  We all had a great time dancing and laughing at the reception.  I have no idea what we are dancing to in this photo as it was when I was making the rounds visiting people, not on the dance floor.  I guess when the beat hits you….

As the wedding was winding down, I changed my clothes to head out.  No judging.  I was 21 and had  this strange idea that I wanted my husband and I to leave in matching outfits.  Flannel shirt fashion of the 90’s.  Unfortunately, I couldn’t find one small enough and just made do with the hideous fashion statement below!  Jami came to me and said that she was having them play our song and let’s go dance.  So the scene below is the final dance at my wedding, with her and I dancing to Stand by Me.

Fast forward to last summer, June 2015, at her wedding and again we danced to this song, and laughed, and cried at how far we’d come. And even when we drift apart and come together and drift apart and come together again the words of the song stay true.

Enjoy this beautiful song.  Spend some time rejoicing!  Spend some time being jubilant!  Celebrate- even in the mundane! You are alive and the world is full of wonder!

Let your light shine!

Amy