Tag: marriage

Posted on in I Married Myself, Living abundantly, Uncategorized

Be Mine Valentine (committed to me)

 

I am no relationship expert.  Although, I have had many – I have had more failures than successes.  Well, I suppose many would sum it in that way.  I, however, look at back them as experiences, learning opportunities and mostly, a lot of fun.

Just days away from Valentine’s Day and I am getting excited.  My beloved and I have been making plans for weeks.  We’ve been married since the summer of 2012.  We?  Me and me.  I and I. Self-love.  I married myself and I highly recommend it.

I planned a lovely, simple wedding on the beach (my favourite place) in the evening.  The whole day was leading up to my ceremony was fun with a bit of shopping and a delicious meal.

July 2012 I promised to love myself.  I promised to honour and protect me.  Now as Valentine’s day approaches I see it as a day to recommit.  I want to have a day to honour Love, in general , and to honour a commitment to the one person who  will be with me until I die.  The one person who I want to love and take the best possi ble care of.   I am proud to say I love me. My commitment to my health, my safety, my well being and contentment is all part of my “marriage”.

I am also blessed to have wonderful people in life that I love,  my grandson, my daughters, their partners and my amazing friends.  However, my life changed the day I married myself.  Something flipped in me and a new contentment washed over me.  It has stayed with me over the years.  There was a moment when I realized I really wasn’t alone.

Whether you are in relationship or not, I invite you to explore making this personal commitment – to love, honour and respect YOU.

Posted on in I Married Myself, Living abundantly

I Married Myself

 

In the summer of 2012 I got married, on the beach at sunset.  I had only one guest with me– a woman I cared very much for.   I did not marry her, I married me.  I was ready to commit for life to myself.  I was ready to promise to Love, Honour and Cherish me.  Forever.  It was time.  I was 56 years old. It was one of the pivotal moments of my life and I loved every second.

It is not that I have never been married.  In fact I have been married a few times before and who knows?  I might do it again but this one is forever.  This is a commitment to love, honour and cherish myself.  In all future relationships, I will put myself in a place of importance and of value.

If by different, you mean awesome
If by different, you mean awesome

We started the afternoon with a little shopping and then an early wedding supper at one of my favourite “all you can eat sushi” restaurants located in Toronto’s annex.  We were meeting another close friend and would share my wedding plans with her.  Dinner was delicious and we laughed and enjoyed the whole idea that soon I would be marrying myself on the shore of Lake Ontario.

not actually buying a wedding dress....but having some shopping fun
not actually buying a wedding dress….but having some shopping fun

and of course, a wedding bouquet
and of course, a wedding bouquet

My companion and now wedding planner and wedding photographer guided me in building a circle of stones drawing on Indigenous practice.  I chose 16 large stones for my circle.  Each stone represented something in the tradition of the medicine wheel.  She explained the meaning of each stone.

Feeling powerful and committed
Feeling powerful and committed

After I built my wedding circle, I chose to use the lake as my Mikvah ( a ritual cleansing bath from my Jewish practice).    In Judaism, our tradition teaches that impurity can be relieved by immersion into any body of natural flowing water.  I completely immersed myself 3 times as the sun set and the sky darkened.  I sang the Shekianu – Boruch ata, Adonai, Elohanu Melach Ha’olam. Shehekianu, vikimanu, vihigianu, lazman ha ze, Amen – a blessing for a special or new occasion.  My companion had placed burning incense upon the stones at each of the directions – north, east, south and west. I changed into an off white gauzy dress that I had bought in Aghios Nikolas, Crete the summer before.

 

 

When I came out of the lake, I entered the circle.  With tears streaming down my cheeks, I said my vows.  I promised to always love me, to be good to Me, to hold Me, to realize that I am never alone because I have Me.  I promised to protect Me and care for Me.

That night I committed to wearing a ring that I had bought  in Eilat on the Red Sea.  I had gone away that weekend on a getaway – yes, alone. A much needed getaway from activism and a few unhealthy relationships.  I traveled on an overnight bus from Haifa across the desert.  I bought myself this beautiful silver ring with crystals, delicious perfume, and ate great food and drank lots of wine.  I swam in the sea and walked along the shore.  This ring – 6 years later, became my wedding ring.

We finished my wedding night drinking gin and lemonade on the beach under the stars and honouring this momentous occasion of independence and self loving.