To
weave sparkling romantic tapestries from ribbons of love and joy was to be
the experience we will remember for our daughter's marriage to Baraquiel
Bojorquez-Loya.
Little girls spinning about on the dance floor in long fluffy delicate
dresses and little boys in white tuxedos create a web of intricate design.
Tall handsome dark Latins were outstanding to see with the strength of
their physical dancing with their ladies dressed in long dark dresses having
skirts' slit to reveal the same beautiful skin of their legs. The rhythm
of the music was second to the flow of the generous agreement of the
dancers matching moves. The mood of gracious historical Pasadobles slipped
through generations past to this moment for a precious reminder of those
far away yesteryears. For those of us who were of other slower persuasion
could only stand in wondrous awe to be gifted with the rare bauble
glistening before us.
Gone and almost totally
forgotten were the sad memories of our daughter's grief over a period of
time. The nights spent listening to her weeping, the desolate grief as her
child cried for "Daddy," the struggle to continue with needed
regimen for job and survival, all these disappeared as quietly from our
mind and as quickly as this tall strong young man had reached his arms
around our daughter and her child with the maturity which seemed to be
tied to something as crisp and delicate as the strong culture from which
he was molded.
Of course, it is imbedded in
our psychic now, to know, there is nothing sure and definite. However,
equally we have learned to "seize the moment." This time of
happiness we will treat as a rare gift, giving us strength to once again
hope for a tomorrow.
There were great amounts of
food provided by the groom' s family, especially seasoned "down"
for we who could not tolerate the spicy cuisine. One comment made was,
"I've never been to a wedding where food was served so gracious and
generously." This was not the only generosity to have greeted us.
Each family contributed in their own way to the success of the wedding,
with money. After having fought through weddings before, struggling to
bring all things together, alone, this was akin to a soft warm breeze
wafting off a great expanse of land. It was unexpected but altogether
pleasant.
"The Money Dance,"
was a fun time. All the friends of the family lined up to dance with the
bride and groom, dropping money in the hat held by the groom's sister as
they "paid" for the brief dance with the bride and groom. A
light-hearted moment came when the groom's aunt lovingly tied a brightly
colored table cloth around the tuxedo of the groom "apron
style." It was a very old custom to have reached down these
generations of time holding the significance that the groom was now having
to take on the responsibilities of not only his career but, that of the
responsibilities of home and hearth. A fun time was enjoyed when the
equally handsome cousin of the groom embraced him and danced a few steps
with him while the groom was in the lead, which was another custom
joyfully welcoming the young man to the position of leadership in the
family, leaving his dance of carefree youth behind but, not totally.
"There will always be some fun," the brother seems to be saying.
As time rushes along
sometimes, there is a place to stop briefly. Setting in these brilliant
flashes like the flashing of the camera's recording the wedding is the
imprint left on our mind which needs not the paper, film, or moment caught
in an image. Forever sealed on our hearts strings are these ribbons of
memory. For whatever the future holds, of happiness and success or of
other records, this "Noche del Baraquiel y Kay," will remain, a
testimony to faith and hope.
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