6 days and counting

With only days to go, and still a to-do list that's about a mile long, the single most important thing stands before all others with conviction, truth and beauty:

It's about what's real.

You know what's real by how long it lasts. Flowers wither away. You know what's real by how pure it feels. White dresses turn yellow. You know what's real by the strength it offers, humbly and with such loyalty. Precious metal rings still need re-polishing. You know what's real by the joy that others also gain. Sweet cakes and thank you cards are noted, admired, and then eaten, thrown away. You know what's real by the inspiration it brings, calling you, with honesty, to higher vistas. Slow love songs and speeches eventually become out-dated. You know what's real by the love it provides, even if there are tears in your eyes. Especially when there are tears in your eyes.

The perfect flower arrangements, the dress that attests to your personality, the rings that say "forever," the menu complete with petit fours, the songs that mark your first date...all of it is symbolic, an image with meaning. But a symbol, truly, that illustrates what lies underneath. The deepest layer - what is real.