Unwritten

A few days ago, someone who is very dear to me, whom I have admired for almost my entire life told me, "Tara, you bring magic into people's lives." It was a very complex moment for me; I didn't know what to say. In my mind, I was reminded of this same woman going around to her students, putting a bit of glitter on their hand and telling them it was magic, and everyone believed her, no matter how old they were. She was the one who spread magic. I was flattered that this incredibly inspirational woman would say something like this to me, but at the same time, I didn't feel like I deserved it. Ever since she said it, I have been thinking about what that means. While it is what I have always wanted, to inspire change and do good, it comes with a heavy burden. I can't get the picture of Aragorn out of my head as he tells Lord Elrond, "I give hope to men but keep none for myself," because that is how I have found myself feeling much of the time. I have g...

Today, we come together to celebrate love and a new beginning. For all of recorded time, man has been seeking to define love, and today there are so many definitions that it was impossible to pick just one to describe the love we celebrate here today. For what makes this love unique is that today we do not just celebrate the love between two people, but the love between two families who have been broken, mended, and blended in so many different ways and yet have still thrived. We celebrate the love of friends who have always remained true, who have always been ready to jump in and offer help at the slightest request, who have found their way back to us after years apart. We celebrate the love we still hold for those whom we’ve lost and who are watching us from a better place. We celebrate our love for the beauty to be found in life’s simplest gifts: in song, in nature, in fellowship with those we hold dear, in the laughter of a baby, in the embrace of someone who cares. But above al...