flower

A few days ago, I had the great pleasure of officiating the wedding of Luc and Galina, my first wedding of 2017. The couple’s story is somewhat unique. Luc is French-Canadian, from Montreal, and Galina is Russian, from Moscow. On a whim, Luc decided to check out an internet dating site called “Russian Cupid”, and there he met Galina. Cupid’s arrow created an immediate spark. And it wasn’t because there were no one else interested. In fact, Luc got applications from around 300 women, but there was no one else like Galina. She and Luc are both middle-aged and mature, and she was the only one that he sensed would love him for who he is, not as someone to be used to get a ticket out of Russia. With Galina, it didn’t feel like something selfish or an infatuation, but rather a sincere friendship with the main purpose of wanting the other to be happy. Yes, there was an immediate spark, but it was the experience of a deep and loving friendship that was the glue between them. Their courtship, over nearly two years, included frequent Skype calls, even cooking together via Skype, spending time together in Moscow, and eventually meeting again in New York City, where, on the observation deck of the Empire State Building, they became engaged.

Now some might wonder, did they rush into it? Some might insist they should have spent more time being together in person, perhaps living together, before making the marriage commitment. The reality is that there are no absolute rules that, if followed, will guarantee success, certainly not in terms of time and distance. Human relationship don’t quite work that neatly. As a counselor and officiant with couples, I am always looking for the glue, the energy, that More