Once upon a time two women were wandering this planet, footsteps sinking into the mountains and into the sea. One woman, tall, patient and forged in fire and music. The other, small, strong and made of the whispers of animals and salty tides. Both finally content in their own shells, searching for trinkets that sparked joy within their souls. A June morning came, the type of morning where dew slipped from climbing Jasmine, and heat hummed with the cicadas clinging to balmy oaks. The two women found one another, hesitant, at first, to disrupt the peace they had come to know, but curious enough to follow the song through the trees. As time went on, as it usually does, the two women found themselves drawn closer still, and they began to weave a story a few strands at a time. The women shared strands of their pasts, their secrets, their fears and hopes. Each scar and tear received with tenderness, each dream set upon a cloud. As the women wove their strands, they became more entangled. A strand of frustration met patience. A strand of mistake met grace. A strand of excitement met encouragement. Finally, the strands were planted and roots began to reach into the folds of the Earth, anchoring their love for one another in the tangles of life all around. As we begin this journey, and spring forth from the ground, we invite all of our loved ones, from the seedlings to the stardust, to watch us grow, and help us tend to the love that is sure to be taller than the pines and deeper than the echos of mountains.