  Well, the long awaited day finally arrived on Saturday and my sister Celebriän married Olwë Nénharma in the Las Vegas temple. I know I should probably spend most of this entry talking about them, as it was their wedding, but it's my blog so I will focus on me and the things I learned this weekend. This week, I learned a lot more about marriage. I learned that at its best, marriage is not just the joining of two people, but the joining of two families. I will unabashedly brag here for a moment and just say that it's a rare thing to see two families pull off a wedding as well as the Felagunds and the Nénharmas did.
One of the most touching moments this weekend for me was actually at the very end, when Celebriän and Olwë had already left for their honeymoon. We had to stop over at the Nénharma's for a couple of last minute things, and before we left we all sat in their living room and had a prayer together, to thank God for the experiences and the spirit that we had all shared during the past few days. It's weird how much that meant to me, but I suspect it has to do with me feeling a little bit alone in my life right now and really needing that kind of family support system around me. There were lots of family moments, actually. I watched my dad and my uncles laugh when remembering my grandpa. I saw the quilt my grandma gave to my sister as a wedding present, a priceless gift made with so much love. I noticed my uncle getting a little emotional when he hugged my mom in the temple. Does he realize, I wonder, how much his actions as a teenager have affected the formation of my own family? I also felt quite strongly the presence of my grandpa and grandma and even more family members at that wedding, reminding me that I owe everything I have to the efforts of those who have gone before me.
I also learned that I've never had the kind of relationship that my sister has with her husband. The way they just glowed whenever they looked at one another, the respect and love that they show each other...yeah, I've never experienced that (at least to the same degree, and if you are a former boyfriend or not-boyfriend reading this, don't get your feelings hurt, it's nothing personal). This makes me feel a little discouraged, but more than that it actually makes me feel rather hopeful. I don't totally get that, so I'll just go with it. This weekend I learned that it's really not polite to ask the unmarried older sister if she is upset that her younger sister is getting married first. Seriously, what am I supposed to say to that? As it happens, I'm not particularly upset about it, but what if I was? There was this girl I met both at the shower and the reception that must have mentioned being 31 and not married about 50, 000, 000 times. I can bet she wouldn't have reacted particularly well to that question. It's hit and miss, you know, but why risk it?
Come on people, be thoughtful. I learned (once again) that Lamonte is just one hell of a car, but I wish her CD player wouldn't overheat so easily. Speaking of heat, I had it reconfirmed that Las Vegas is not a nice place to be in August, but I also learned that you sort of get used to it. I used to absolutely despise Las Vegas, but I don't so much anymore. So I guess I also learned that there's more to Vegas than the strip. However, though Las Vegas has it's good points, I learned yet again that there is virtually nothing lonelier than spending the night by yourself in a Las Vegas hotel room and driving to California the next day.
This weekend, I met this person who looked directly into my eyes when he talked to me. I'd forgotten how rare that is, or how much I like it when someone does that. I learned stuff about myself too. For instance, I think I really need to stop trying to re-create my past experience and instead focus on just having new ones. Sometimes I do that (the re-creating thing) more than is healthy. I learned that I need to be more proactive in life in general. Seems odd, doesn't it, because I know a lot of people think of me as a proactive person already. What can I say, we all have our little hidden insecurities. Anyway, it's back to the grind for me (I'm starting my internship on Wednesday and I'm sort of freaking out), but this week was terrific. Thanks, everyone. 
