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October 2nd 2007

Published: October 4th 2007

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LizzZ

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creative master: jim vega

And so the moment is come and gone. Almost 20 years ago a tiny Lizzz asked the big question "Are you going to get married?" And now I can call a special special lady "my mother" and two seperate families that loved two people dearly can be joined into one. To put it more simply Dad and Mary got married. Their love for each other has been a rock for me....and on many accounts sickenly sweet. For many years, through their example, I thought marriage wasn´t a necesity. My opinion, however, was only one sided. For them perhaps marriage wasn´t important but now I realize that they aren´t the only two people in a marriage. Included are friends and family. After the wedding my grandpa took my arm and said "That was my life´s last important event."...he finaly got see his boy get married. There is just as much power in that as their is in the union of Dad and Mary. When you get married you aren´t only agreeing to commit to one person you are agreeing to commit to many many people. When I found out they were going to get married I cried. I cried before the wedding,

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I cried after the wedding and I´m still crying. For me too there is now some validation. My love for Dad and My Mary hasn´t changed but it is now some how stronger.

The week of the wedding was wonderful. Dad and Mary chose to have an outdoor service at their house in the mountains. As they said their vows we all looked at the Wenatchee river slowly rolling past. Each morning we woke up the clan of Durham/Honeycutts and prepared breakfast. We laughed, and got to know each other. When breakfast was over we started making lunch. The hours were broken up with walks to the neighbors garden for fresh fruit picking, strolls in the woods, afternoon picnics and campfires. I looked at the stars every night, woke up to silence (well, really i woke up to someone saying "we have to be quiet, Lizzz is sleeping") and felt the warmth and comfort of being with family.

After the wedding I made my way south to a sweet little city called Olympia. I knocked on a strange door and two dear friends tumbled out with bedhead and long arms for hugging. I didn´t really know how much

needle

I needed that until I was there. I have grown and changed so much since I have been in Buenos Aires but there are parts of me I left in Olympia, pieces that I dearly missed. I don´t feel like I laugh as loudly in Buenos Aires as I do with my old friends. I dont dance nearly enough here and I dont make nearly enough faces.

I had a surprise welcome home party and saw many faces smiling out at me that I hadnt seen in years. I sat in cafes, cars, lawnchairs, couches, beds, and yards with people I love. On every street there was another unexpected face and a suprised hello...I didnt realize I knew so many people. I skated through memory lane and fell in love with the Pacific Northwest.

I am back in Buenos Aires. The city is crowed and humid. I reconize the avenues and my key fit the lock. But the apartment almost didnt smell right. I went out for coffee with Brian. Only two weeks had passed. I felt like it had been longer. I feel like I have changed in those two weeks and I am now wondering in

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earnest about my future. There is the cliche, "you can never go home again" I realize perhaps you can not go back but you can return and create a new one.

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