A Surprising Transformation

The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon. . . . They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green.

—Psalm 92:12, 14

One night in July, our dear friends Jim and Jodi were married. The bride was preceded down the aisle by her son, daughters, and grandchildren, and the groom was surrounded by his sailing buddies, among them my brother. In the vows they wrote, Jim talked about his life before Jodi, and how deeply he valued his independence. For years, he’s worked and traveled and skied and sailed on his own schedule, at his own whim. And then came Jodi, this gorgeous woman whose deepest commitment is to her children and grandchildren, and the life she invited him into was more about Santa than ski season and more about naptime than staying out all night. Watching Jim become a partner and companion, a father and grandfather, has been a moving and surprising transformation, and he’s more surprised than anyone.

That night didn’t feel like a beginning, the way some weddings do. It felt like we were stopping to notice and celebrate this glorious thing that had been inching its way into existence day by day, growing like a slender tough stalk, until one day you realize it’s become a strong tall tree, providing shade and protection to everyone under its branches.