seven attended her cousin's bat mitzvah today. i couldn't accompany her as i was forced to keep an eye on two for the afternoon. apparently two-year-olds and three-hour synagogue ceremonies just don't mesh very well. seven's latest appearance at a formal affair hosted by my side of the family reminded me of the dozens and dozens of functions that i have attended over the years. as the youngest members of our generation (and by a good twenty years or so), my brother and i have literally watched our cousins grow up before our eyes. and for me, it is wedding celebrations that have always held a special place in my heart... and stomach, but more on that to follow.
as both a teenager and later as an adult, i must admit that the best part about attending family weddings were the receptions that followed the formal exchange of vows. (often the ceremony itself would prove to be a test of my patience, and my legs, as i dutifully responded to the rabbi's cries of "please rise" and "please be seated" a good twenty times over the course of the morning-long service.)
when i was younger, wedding invitations meant being seated at the "kids table" which meant one thing and one thing only: we didn't have to eat all that crappy, high-class cuisine served to our parents. instead, special "kids menus" brought us the who's who of unfashionable finger foods: chicken fingers, mini burgers, cheesy pizzas and, of course, all-you-can-eat french fries. who needs three-course-meals and moonlight dancing when you've got greasy burgers and fries?
later, as a prospective young gentleman caller, i took great pride in being assigned a seat at the "singles table" as such a designation signalled my entry into the messy underbelly of adult relationships. watching others squirm as obvious attempts at matchmaking failed miserably provided me with hours and hours of entertainment during an otherwise uneventful evening sit-down meal.
and finally, as a married father of two, wedding receptions have allowed me the rare opportunity to abandon my parental duties in favour of spreading chaos and pandemonium via the medium of unsupervised children - namely, my own two unsupervised children. the way i look at it is this: a 10,000-square-foot reception hall, 300 relatives and four walls provide all the safety and security needed to house my two little whirlwinds. has anyone seen seven lately? oh, she's fine. she's over there by the band serenading uncle lou. does anyone know where two has gone? not to worry. she's by the dessert table tossing eclairs at aunt helen.
ah, the good old days.
"somebody wants to marry you?" - my mother's response to news that i was engaged
no love at table 9: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3s5xsVHOJQs
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