Like anyone, we are each a melting pot of ethnicities. We both have Irish, Scottish and English heritage. I also have some Welsh and a lot of Russian--and that last one makes me half Jewish in the wrong half (through my father). Ah matrilineality.
Our wedding is probably a slightly off kilter spin on many traditions that are out there in the billions of dollars wedding industry. But one tradition I still like is the "something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue." You don't hear too much about the 6 pence in her shoe part of it though (oh my feet- I have foot troubles so you may see me barefoot after awhile). Speaking of matrilineality, this handkerchief was used by my grandmother at her wedding back in 1942. That's right. What better thing to smear away the tears with than that? It's probably not washable either.
The bracelet doesn't go with anything I'm wearing. But it called out to me as something important to incorporate. It's Yemeni - also made in the 40s. One of the puzzles of my heritage is that I have spent a good part of the past 10 years embracing and devouring Middle Eastern (defined as an ignorant American would define I suspect) culture. Except that I think of myself as more of a Jew.
What would my father say (now 14 years since his death) about my love for belly dance and how I studied it 6 long years under the best teacher in the world; about how I adore the voices of Khaled and Amr Diab (Dad always wanted me to be proud of his voice); about how I adore Middle Eastern food; how sometimes our alarm gets set to iPod and accidentally wakes us up to the live, crowd-screaming, tabla throbbing version of the group 1,2,3, Soleils' version of "Khalliouni Khalliouni"; about how I dragged David when we were in Paris all the way out to the 18th arrondissement to see Cheb Bilal perform- two obviously white strangers...possibly Americans (it was 2004) elbow to elbow with undulating throngs of French Morroccan and Algerian youth who were smoking, waving the flags and acting like they would at any moment break out in a drunken riot. Even Cheb Bilal was getting annoyed and starting to deploy his bouncers.
David's cool. I can take him anywhere.
What would Dad say? Paths not taken. If he weren't dead, I would very likely not be here, not know many of you, not be the person I am, marrying David.
Anyhoo...I'm in search of something borrowed. Calla lillies are a theme of the wedding but I'm putting it out to the readers and the invitees- whacha all say?
2 comments:
Can the borrowed thing be something less tangible - like the Simone and Garfunkle song you're going to play? Or, could you borrow something from David that then becomes something that belongs to you both so that it is no longer borrowed?
Rachel, I would be delighted to lend you something for the wedding .. many ideas come to mind, I will call you!
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