My officiant practice is something that emerged out of my growing awareness of time over the last five years. Admittedly, I took the passing of time for granted for much of my life… which seems so silly and naïve in many ways. Experiencing my own complicated health issues recently and those of loved ones, not to mention a loss of community time during the lockdowns, really opened my eyes to see that these moments together are a true gift.

How many hours am I granted to make use of in my life? I am watching my children grow every day, a constant reminder that the years keep moving. I am watching the world that surrounds us move at a pace that often makes me want to shout from the rooftops: “Slow down, you’re missing it!”.

The feeling that I describe is not sadness, it’s not panic or strain. Rather, it’s motivation to grab our moments and elevate them so that we can mark these milestones together. So that we can share this one gorgeous life with each other. So that we can hold each other, uplift each other, and always remember that we were here.