Lovers don't finally meet somewhere - renewal vows on Kauai

Yesterday was one of those magical moments that will be imprinted on my mind for the rest of my life. No matter what happens from here on out, I know that I am loved and I love my husband  my children, and our lives together.
Last evening my husband and I renewed our vows celebrating 21 years of marriage together at the shore of the Kailua River, the most sacred river in Kauai, next to the site of Forgiveness with the wind blowing away all our past hardships as the waves washed in the new. We stood in the presence of our beautiful children reaffirming our commitment to each other. Honouring the fact that we are in this marriage, on this journey together as a family.
Our day began with much worry and trepidation because we woke up to rain pouring down, the day quite gloomy and not promising at all. Worrying that we would not be able to renew our vows because the weather would not allow us. El Herrington, whom we had never met, was to be our guide in our ceremony told us from the outset her intuition was telling her that all was going to be well and that she would send out a prayer to the Island to allow our renewal to happen. And if it was meant to be it would be.
I had chosen El because her spirit spoke to me when I was searching for someone to preside over our very personal and sacred commitment to each other. When I found her website Spirit of Kauai and heard her voice, I knew she was the one who would take us to the place of where my husband and I's spirits had connected before.
As the day progressed the clouds would give way to the sun off and on. Filling us with hope then dashing them in an instant. And as we got closer to our time, the heavens opened again but El eased our worries by saying the site where we were going was clear and there was no rain.
So we dressed. My daughter and I behind closed doors so the men could not see us until we were ready. Giggling like two school girls rather than mother and daughter. My daughter doing my make up in a beautiful and subtle way. The two of us sharing a special moment of her helping me to get ready for our renewal. We dressed in our dresses looking like two radiant women ready to go out into the world.
When we walked out we were excited to see how handsome our boys looked. Dressed in their crisp white shirts and khakis. They in turn told us how beautiful we looked. And then we drove to our site, The Lydgate State Park. At the very end of Wailua Beach by HiKina'akala. Dark clouds rolled in. The wind picked up. A chill descended upon us as we made our way across the beach with the photographer and harpist with El leading the way.
We worried the rain would come again. El asked the Island again to allow us to renew our vows. I asked St Anthony, Patron Saint of Miracles, to allow us the miracle of no rain. Our son said the wind was blowing the clouds away. And then we preceded.
My son taking my arm into his walking me to meet my husband and daughter halfway so we could link arms as family. And then we walked as a family to stand before El to the sound of Anela playing the Hawaiian wedding song on the harp. Our children standing to the side as my husband I stood in the middle as El began our powerful ceremony of love.  A dream come true. A feeling of deep and powerful love as we went through the spiritual and soul connecting ceremony El had created for us. Surprising us at each turn with what she had prepared.
Honouring each other with leis made for our ceremony. First between my husband and I and then onto our children. So special.
My husband and I reading to each other words we had written only to discover what we had each composed in isolation was the same story written from different perspectives. Affirming to each other we are in fact on the same wavelengh. That we are continuing a journey we have been on many times before. Souls connected from lives previous.
And then after my son passed my ring to my husband and my daughter passed my husband's ring to me, my husband and I exchanged our rings and spoke our vows to each other as a family. Our son telling us later that when we did, he looked up and saw the grey clouds had all passed leaving only a blue sky.  All while Anela played the harp softly in the background as the waves rolled onto the shore, the wind whipped our faces, the sense of renewal and continuation of our love becoming a part of the natural rhythm of nature. With all of us blending into the scenery around us. Becoming at one with the life force. With each other. Liz snapping pictures in the background without being intrusive. The setting serene and sacred.
We ended the ceremony by offering a thanks to nature by giving back to the ocean the water we had taken to touch in our ceremony and sealed our love with a kiss between us first as renewed husband and wife then kissing our children. Hugging each other in a circle. The circle of family. Of love.
Remembering the words El had spoken just before we spoke our words of love to each other,
“The minute I heard my first love story,
I started looking for you, not knowing
how blind that was.
Lovers don't finally meet somewhere.
They're in each other all along.”
― Rumi, The Illuminated Rumi
Knowing full well this to be our story. Our true story that we as husband and wife have been in each other all along. As have our children. The circle of love and family renewed to continue on from the first day of the April 2013. A day of love and renewal. Beautiful beyond words.