COUNSELOR'S CORNER: When love shines brightly

By Fred Cavaiani This past weekend I experienced two occasions where love beamed brightly. I was mesmerized and inspired while attending a beautiful wedding on Saturday and while celebrating Mother's Day on Sunday. The wedding on Saturday was elegant, luxurious and most inspiring. A doctor friend of ours found her soul-mate. She wanted to celebrate this in a royal fashion with her husband, also a physician. It was a large, glorious wedding with over 400 people. Many friends and associates attended this wonderful celebration uniting together to rejoice in the love of this lovely couple. What inspired me so very much was the radiant smiles on both bride and groom. Their glowing expressions proclaimed a belief in hope and love that was powerful and uplifting. This couple radiated such love. I think that the many people in this beautiful church and then the beautiful ballroom were observing the essence of love: to give and to celebrate with everyone. This was a day of joyful love and uplifting celebration. I felt privileged to be there. Tears came to my eyes both in the church and at the wedding banquet. I could experience this profound love between bride and groom. Just watching them interact with everyone was a like a refreshing course in how to live life in a loving manner. Then Sunday came and our family celebrated Mother's Day. My wife and I accompanied by our son, two married daughters, their husbands and our five grandchildren, met for brunch at a wonderful restaurant. After brunch everyone came over to our home. Once there was only my wife and me. Now there were twelve of us with a new member of the family on the way (one daughter is expecting her fourth child in September). As we all sat at the table talking, laughing and sharing and then giving gifts to the wonderful mothers later in the afternoon, I breathed a prayer of gratitude. It is so amazing what can happen after "two people fall in love." The world survives because people love one another. Families survive and grow healthy because members love each other. Mothers give birth to us and nurture us. Other people also love and nurture us throughout our lives through close friendships and loving mentors. Mother's Day is a celebration of the courage and strength of love. Weddings are often the same type of celebration. The one we attended on Saturday was certainly that type of celebration. On Saturday evening after the wedding, the eve of Mother's Day, I saw a picture my wife's cousin had posted on Facebook. It was a picture of my wife at four years old. It was such a sweet and loving picture. Her best friend from childhood also saw it and commented that she has the same picture. Again I reflected on this innocent little girl of childhood, my beautiful wife, who is now a mother of three, and grandmother of five, and a friend to so many people. At the wedding of over four hundred people on Saturday evening, I realized that I was not one of the younger members at that wedding. In fact I could be classified much closer to the top of the seniority list of age. But, what has happened over the past forty years is amazing and is spiritually and emotionally energizing. Again, on Mother's Day, I could see that our lives with all its ups and downs has been lived in love and dedication and joy. Watching my wife and children celebrate Mother's Day simply reconfirmed for me that where love is present, there is God. Saturday the beautiful bride was radiant and continually spread the warmth of love to everyone. On Mother's Day, watching my wife's face and the faces of our daughters and the kindness of our son and sons-in law I again rejoiced. This all started because I had the good fortune to choose a woman who could love courageously and tenderly. Happy Celebration of Love to everyone. Weddings and days of celebrations like Mother's Day become wonderful occasions for renewing love in our lives and becoming more grateful for the love that is present in our lives. ---------- Fred Cavaiani is a licensed marriage counselor and psychologist with a private practice in Troy. He is the founder of Marriage Growth Center, a consultant for the Detroit Medical Center, and conducts numerous programs for groups throughout Southeast Michigan. His column in the Legal News runs every other Tuesday. He can be reached at (248)362-3340. His e-mail address is: Fredcavi@yahoo.com and his website is fredthecounselor.com. Published: Tue, May 14, 2013