*Weaving
Weaving — by Kimberly Morris
Weaving
Day 4 — February 13
It is impossible to comprehend how many yards of yarn were woven together to create this beautiful tapestry in harmonious hues of green, blue, and purple—with an accent of salmon. It is even harder to comprehend how weavers deftly pass the shuttle back and forth through the shed, between the yarn threads of the warp in order to weave in the weft and create wondrous designs. Even the words that describe weaving are beautiful!
Marriage is a weaving-in-progress. Every day the disparate threads of two lives are woven together—creating new patterns of who we are becoming.
When Elizabeth and I were married on October 20, 1990, we spoke our vows to one another, witnessed by the gathered community. These are the words I wrote for our covenant with each other:
I take you, Elizabeth/Kent, to be my wife/husband.
I promise before God and before this community
to be faithful to you
and to share all that is to come.
In times of happiness I will share your joy and laughter.
In times of sorrow, I will share your tears and pain.
I will forgive as I have been forgiven.
I will love as I have been loved.
I will join with you so that together
we may serve God and others
as long as we both shall live.
What we cannot know or comprehend when we say such vows is how many tears there will be or how debilitating will be the pain; we believe that the joy and laughter will make it all worthwhile.
What I have now come to know is that I could not fully appreciate the beauty of the tapestry while it was still on the loom. After 10,735 days, my marriage ended with Elizabeth’s final breath. The weaving is complete.
Now I can see—and feel—how the tears and joy and pain and laughter and sorrow and happiness were all woven together to create designs unique and beautiful.
Day 4: the art of love and loss
view all posts at kentmueller.com
February 10, 2020, was the day my wife, Elizabeth Izant, entered the hospital. She and I were on a hopeful journey following her heart transplant five months prior. On March 1, she entered hospice and died March 11. This series is not about her medical journey. This is about sharing stories and reflections about our life together. In our 29 years of marriage, we collected a piece of art or two each year, often in celebration of our marriage anniversary. Each day from February 10 to March 11, I will be sharing an image of that art. And a story.