Last night was my sister's wedding reception. They got married privately (some would say they eloped) a while back, but really wanted to celebrate with a party for family and friends. I was the "event photographer," a task made quite challenging by the fact that the lighting in the place was really bad ... I ended up having to resort to built-in flash by the end of the night. (I think more disappointing to me than anyone else, of course.)

To say that my sister and I are extremely different would be a huge understatement. I think the characterizations "earth mama" and "glamour goddess" would not be too off the mark. But anyway, she was the first sibling I ever had, and we shared a room, along with much play and many secrets, growing up. She has had a very, very hard road over the last 10 years or so, and the fact that she has found someone to love, who truly loves her, is so huge that it's difficult to express in words. I am deeply thankful that this has happened for her.

Last night, at the very end of the party, my mom and brother and I asked the DJ to play "Footloose", a song that we had choreographed as children, and used to dance around our living room to it over and over. (The DJ at first refused ... long story ... and had to be strong-armed into it by the venue manager. Not a way to get hired back by a venue, let me tell you.)

Anyway, there we were: me, my two sisters, our brother, and our mama standing in the middle of the dance floor, arms around one another, huddle-style, crying for joy to "Footloose" because our sweet sister is finally happy. (This is supposed to be a joyful post, not a crying one!) It was a wonderful, crazy, fun, sad, amazing moment, one I will never forget, though it's not captured on film (or digitally!).

It was one of those "big" moments in life where no previous amount of struggle or anger could even begin to touch the awesome joy of that moment. (Moments like those make being fully present easy!)

uncommon grace