A value of ours is community. The pandemic has challenged how we can create a ceremony that honors this in a safe way. While we have had to concede a number of hopes on our initial vision for this moment - we also believe we have an opportunity to honor our community who taught us how to love. You have been a huge part of that community and we want you to be there with us. We invite you to join us via Zoom on October 3rd (or October 4th for those on the other side of the world)!

STORY VERSION #1 Joy and Andrew met at a "Cosmic Children" gathering (those under 40) for participants of the Living School through the Center for Action and Contemplation. The setting was a brewery in Albuquerque. The mood was one of enjoyment, presence, and warm conversations. With everyone circled and cozied up, Andrew took the last open spot next to Joy and introduced himself, "Hi, I'm Fritz from Indiana." Within mere-moments Joy and Andrew were engaged in deep conversation. [FLASHBACK TO A MONTH EARLIER: After years of wanting to visit her great Uncle Fritz, a beloved and epic relative who happened to live in Indiana, Joy had a moment of clarity, "go visit Fritz in Indiana."] About a month later, Joy visited the Fritzes in Indiana. This uncanny coincidence continues to unfold as history in the making. STORY VERSION #2 Joy and Andrew met at a bar.

They headed off into the wilderness - a place called Dolly Sods in West Virginia - a remarkably stunning landscape full of open heathland, red spruce forests, waterfalls and streams. It's a place where sunrises and sunsets are abundant and where the sky is wide open. It's lifted up, literally, sitting on a plateau. It's also a place that represents all of our stories; beauty, heartache, healing, and reverence. After hiking for three days in silence, in laughter, and in tears, they came across a tree in the middle of the wilderness. It's a tree that Andrew has grown fond of. It has several names depending on what you are choosing to see: The Tree of Life and Trust or The Tree of Knowledge and Control. At this tree, they decided to dwell in mutual commitment and presence to one another. They chose the shade of the Tree of Life and Trust and proposed to one another - each choosing to say “yes”. Afterwards, they gobbled pizza in Davis, WV. And they were happy.