Ooh, Baby, Baby, Baby, Where Did Our Love Go, And All Your Promises Of A Love Forever More

--"Where Did Our Love Go?", The Supremes

one three three

nora: a mother
since she was four and ever
since I was brought home.
~dw

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If she ends up marrying her long-time beau, "Just Plain" Harry, Nora is going to have to decide whether to invite his ex, "Just Plain" Sarah. The way it's inadvertently hushed over, you would think that the fate of the world were at a stake. But at its heart, it's the question of whether or not love is capable of transformation and if there is such a thing as redemption when that kind of romantic love dies. ¶If Choppers had her way, exes would be a relic of a bygone era. We would see poor "Just Plain" Sarah trundled off to the exterior regions of present-day obligations. But because the heart bundles around the smallest of affections, Harry and Sarah manage to subvert the popular opinion. They continue to be the most decent and human of friends even while everyone around them continues to naysay, nitpick, and nudge them towards a more permanent division. ¶If they had kids, then it'd be fine. Progeny tethers all wayward couples. But since they have none, it's assumed that no lasting connection exists to bind one heart to another, especially when one of the hearts is already bound to my sister. ¶Yet in the recesses of my mind even I can recognize that more love is good love. More caring is good caring. Your love doesn't diminish in the shadow of someone else's; the density only grows triplefold like adding cement to water. If I had the courage to be someone who often spoke her mind I would say to my beloved sister that it's not Harry's prerogative to turn away someone who cares about him. To me it's obvious that Sarah harbors no ill intent to the happy couple. Being at the wedding for her would be like being at the wedding for any of the rest of her friends. Simply because you've climbed the mountain once doesn't mean you intend to climb it again or that you'll be jealous when somebody else climbs it after you. ¶Frankly, we all need the help we can get. I believe in strong families. I believe in strong ties. And I don't consider family to begin and end with the patchwork of blood relations one has. It grows and extends with every person we're fortunate to come into contact with, whether arising from the sea anew like Venus or from the ashes of a deserted dream of the future. It's all the same. ¶From somebody who has always considered herself more alone than she wanted to be, to look at Nora shoo away someone who, from what I've seen firsthand once, could bring joy to her future husband and maybe even to her, I believe it's sheer vanity. ¶I've always had her love so I know how awe-inspiring it is. I also know how vast it truly is. ¶She can afford to spare a little change.

dw