It’s PoetryFriday!
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Our host this week is our friend Carol at Beyond LiteracyLink.
Give yourself the gift of perusing poetry this weekend! Join us!
a year of weddings
a year of weddings come and gone
what remains is joy
dresses, parties, planning marathon
a year of weddings come and gone
like precious metals, hearts are drawn
love and prayer, melded alloy
a year of weddings come and gone
what remains is joy
photo & poem
© 2024 Patricia J. Franz
I am one of five. Between us, we have twelve kids. Spanning the twelve years from 1986 to 1998, it seems there was always somebody pregnant. Two of those married in 2019. Those same two welcomed first babies in 2022. 2024 will be our Year of the Weddings.
They fell like dominoes. Young hearts making their way in the world. College. Jobs. “Dating themselves” became code for exploring who they were, what was important. Then suddenly, we were meeting someone special. Logan. Ann. Luke. Margaret. Matt. Laura. We parents joked about a family pool…Who would be the first to announce. By June 2023, there were six!
Each of my siblings celebrated one of our kids’ marriage –and one of us had two!
You might wonder if we got sick of celebrating…Is there such a thing? Is there such a thing as too much joy?? I don’t think so. We wrapped each couple with love and support. They planned their parties, the venues, the menus. They wisely planned for a lifetime –the hills and valleys, the hard work that comes with a commitment for life.
We are a pretty tight-knit extended family unit. Still, we don’t typically see one another every single month! And that’s what happened from September 2023 (an engagement party to kick off the festivities) to October 2024 (the last wedding). Bridal showers, engagement photos, dress shopping, rehearsals, welcome parties, receptions, after-parties, morning-after brunches… On the one hand it sounds excessive, I suppose. Until you look beyond the glitter and traditions and see a couple. Two hearts. And you remember all the love and prayers – the very foundation upon which they stand.
And what remains is joy.
Patricia Franz writes picture books and poetry. She believes children, dogs, and sourdough have a lot to teach us about life, joy, and wonder. She has raised two boys, four dogs, and holds a master’s degree in Theology with a focus on children’s spirituality. Patricia, her husband, her Bernese Mountain dog, Bonny, and her sourdough starter split their time between the Arizona desert and the Sierra Nevada mountains. 
What an amazing year! You are so right about this: “They wisely planned for a lifetime –the hills and valleys, the hard work that comes with a commitment for life.” The wedding is joyful but is only the start. They are lucky to have such a supportive family! 💖
Wow — that’s amazing and so life affirming. It takes a lot of energy and resources to plan weddings these days, so kudos to everyone. Wonderful to hear of such a close-knit family — that’s wealth beyond words. Here’s to JOY!
Patricia, I teared up reading this. On the one hand, it sounds like a LOT. On the other hand, wow! So much joy and togetherness! What fun to be seeing each other to celebrate the start of a journey rather than the end. Thanks for taking us along on your joyful journey this past year.
I can’t believe your year of weddings has come to a close. What a whirlwind of promises and bright futures! I am glad you now have a chance to relax and reflect upon the joy!
Love your triolet, Patricia! And no, I don’t think there is such a thing as too much joy. Your post is full of love and joy and all the rewards that come to fulfilling life in such a positive way. Thank you!
Patricia, I followed your blog – one joyful event after another. I send your family kudos for working so diligently together to make each event a blissful time for the couples. Memories will remain forever. Love these repeated lines: a year of weddings come and gone
what remains is joy
There is little more to say than what a marvelous, life-affirming, year of family love widening the circle, Patricia. I love your poem, “like precious metals, hearts are drawn”, but really I love the prose your wrote after. And, it’s been a joy to me to watch all your family’s wedding celebrations all through the year. Congratulations and best wishes to each couple for all their years to be filled with the joy of the ‘send-off’!
Many congratulations! What JOY to see the young ones build lives together. Now they have that support network of cousins to continue the joy with. I just can’t imagine anything better than the experiences you have been fortunate to have this past year. What immense blessings. Thank you for sharing some joy with us too!
A marathon of love that leaves joy in its wake. How lucky you are.
What an amazing celebration of family love and connection and serendipity!
What an amazingly happy time in the life of your family, Patricia. “And what remains is joy” – a phrase that sums it up perfectly. Thanks for sharing all your celebrations!
The phrase–what remains is joy–could even be a picture book (though with a different topic). There could be so many different subjects you could explore with that phrase.
Patricia, what a year! I am touched by your family’s togetherness. Joy indeed! xo
What a lovely tribute to an incredible year of joy. No, you can never have too much joy! 😀