Ten: flowers eagerly quenched their thirst on its rays. I had worn virginal white for confirmation services, followed by a first communion with burgandy-coloured wine in an ornate silver chalice. The morsel of bread was received in cupped hands. Spirited organ music, and the choir’s voices reached the vaulted ceilings before and after the service conducted by the Bishop. The sweet smell of lilies and delphiniums from the altar filled the air in the pews.
Noon: the sun blazed high overhead. My wedding dress was Caribbean blue silk with pale crinolines that prompted the turquoise gossamer material to billow. I had carried a small white bible with two bleached satin ribbons and miniature blood red roses at the ends. Low-heeled, pale shoes elevated me almost to the shoulders of the groom. A petite frosty pillbox with three peaks and a small veil adorned titian-coloured hair.
Two: psychedilic coneflowers sought shelter from thr intensity of the sun's fire. We were blessed with a healthy female baby. Milky colours flowed for her baptismal ceremony. The water blessing welcomed her into the world.
Four: blue, verdant or white-stripped hostas, saucy-faced violets, and elegant ferns vacationed under treed umbrella beds. Our daughter flowered into adolescence. Her confirmation was celebrated wearing a spotless, cloud-coloured dress and veil with fragrant lily of the valley guilding her curly straw locks.
Darker, more sombre colours stamped the funeral services of our grandparents.
Six: as the shadows grew long on the ground, our offspring had chosen a traditional chalky gown and trailing veil for a formal June wedding. Bridesmaids were no competition for her loveliness as she floated down the aisle carrying a large spring bouquet of daisies, tulips and daffodils. Her reception was joyful, and the dance floor crowded with well wishers. Toasts were made to the bride and groom in sparkling, clear champagne flutes filled with tasty wines. The day culminated with confetti rain.
Eight: with the kaleidoscope of the setting sun, ivory gowns characterized our grandchildren’s baptismal sanctification. Their baby faces were smooth, round and full, unblemished by life's toils and strife.
Ten: as darkness descended, ebony marked our parents’ deaths. Funeral processions had flown flags from automobile antennas to cremation memorial services.
Midnight: my life had been peppered with many birthday and anniversary celebrations. Mine had been the most frequent ceremonies, fewer for our daughter, and markedly diminished for our grandchildren. A prayer of thanks was offered before the expected joining to the crystalline quasars where partners could embrace in the cosmos.
