What fifty-eight and fifty-three years have taught me about the kind of attention that lasts
“Set me as a seal upon your heart,
as a seal upon your arm,
for love is strong as death,
jealousy is fierce as the grave.
Its flashes are flashes of fire,
the very flame of the Lord.
Many waters cannot quench love,
neither can floods drown it.”
-Song of Solomon
Tonight, I met with two young people for the last time before I officiate their wedding in September. They are sincere and hopeful, and a bit nervous, as anyone would be when something big is about to start. Soon, I’ll stand with them in Atlanta and ask them to make promises they can’t fully understand yet. I know this because I’m still learning what those promises mean after twenty-six years. I’ve also seen two other couples carry them for fifty-three and fifty-eight years.