Once upon a time, not that very long ago, though it seems like a lifetime now, there lived a boy and a girl. They didn't know each other until another boy introduced them. For the ease of the story, we shall name them. Christy was the girl, Alex was the boy and Mike (not her sister's Mike) was the boy who introduced them. It was quite a few years that forged the friendship between them, but Alex harbored a secret during this time. He had developed a crush on Christy. This was a problem, though, as she was in a romance with Mike (again, not her sister's Mike). Not wanting to cause trouble or hurt Christy or his friend, Alex hid his feelings. In time, the relationship between Christy and Mike ended and Christy decided to leave the kingdom they all lived in. Alex was sad and hurt, but continued to keep his secret. He said good bye to Christy as she set out to continue her own story. Neither one could have known at that time just how important they would become to each other. In the years following, Christy would face a darkness unlike any she had known before. Depression and Anxiety would become new friends to her. Alex had little knowledge of this and found himself struggling with his own demons. Then one night after some drinking, he sent word to her professing his like of her. Receiving the message gave her wounded heart hope. She had not been forgotten. A short time after, Christy found herself rescued from her darkness and began working her way back into the light. Even though they were still at some distance from each other, Alex was there for her. Until she was ready, he remained patient and kind. In time, Christy found herself falling in love with Alex. His gentle nature and unending support had won her over. She found she could not help herself. His love and support for her and her children, which he had not sired but loved no less, were mirrored by her own. She strove to show him the same kindness he gave her when his own issues surfaced and made life painful for him. In this nature of love's pure ways, they would become engaged, standing by each other in support and love until the time was right. This brings us to the pause of their story, another page to turn, to start a new chapter. They may not be recognized as husband and wife by definition of law, in their heart of hearts they are husband and wife. Such is the union of commitment, and still, their story continues on.
As with every tale, there are dangers and unseen obstacles, warnings and pardons to beg. That being said, we beg your pardon. We are limited by our venue with a short guest list. We love all of you and have had a hard time choosing who to invite and those to leave off the list. We humbly ask you to leave your children in the care of others for the day, or to check with us and pay extra, from your own pocket, for them to attend with you. Also, we ask that you wear a mask while the ceremony is taking place. We understand some may be uncomfortable with this, but high risk individuals will be in attendance and we would like to see everyone stay as safe as possible. If you do not plan on coming, please let us know as soon as you can. Also, if you feel ill the day of, please be kind and send a text to let us know you will not be there. We hope everyone can understand the health and safety of our children are as important as sharing this day with you.
I know Alex and I are going to get some side eye and not everyone is going to agree with what we are doing. That's ok. We are doing what is best for us, what works for us. We have some very personal reasons for choosing this. One day, we would very much like to sign a marriage license, but for now, we are content to share our joining and commitment this way. Yes, we could wait until we can make it legal, but if we do that, we take the risk of loosing out on having some of the most important people there to share it with us. Like you, the person reading this. You are important to us. If the legality of our union causes a dilemma for you, rest assured that even if you choose to not attend because of the lack of legality, we will love you no less. But we do hope to see you there.