Marriage and Family Committee or Bust

No sooner did I finish fretting about how and how soon we would become members of the Meeting, than our membership came in the mail. Although we had told someone (maybe the wrong person) that we wanted to wait one more month (because we wouldnt be able to both attend the Meeting at which our application for membership would be approved), the Quakers memberized us anyway. I experienced a funny, but relieving feeling and promptly ran off to San Francisco for a baby shower. As a surprise, Lauren took the membership certificates to a frame shop and we will be picking them up this weekend.

In other news, we have written the marriage letter. The marriage letter is addressed to the Marriage and Family Committee. It lets them know that we would like to be married under the care of the Meeting and what type of guidance we need as a couple. The Marriage and Family Committee then selects of small group of three or four people who will do everything from the marriage counseling to the ushering at the ceremony. This smaller group of people is called a Clearness Committee and can be requested by anyone in the Meeting facing any kind of decision. Whenever I tell people about it, they let out a big groan, but its actually the part of the process I am most excited about. It's like getting godparents. Maybe even some gay ones.

At any rate, Lauren also took the lead on writing the letter, while I edited. We will hand deliver the little puppy, pictured above, in the New Year. My favorite line goes, "Like most couples, we love, irritate, pleasure and push each other in all the right ways."

Every once in while, she sure can tap out a zinger.