Dearest Toshi,
When I think of winter…
I think of the gradual loss of daylight, hibernation and the winter solstice.
The gradual loss of daylight slows most plant growth towards the sun and instead relies on the roots to reach into the dark depths to sustain through the cold of winter. You my love, have much in common with plants during the winter months.
I know how important sunlight is to your mental health. You have learned over the years to embrace the dimming of the light and dig deeper to find new hidden nutrients within the darkness of your thoughts and feelings.
I Bow to your depth of introspection, self care and growing knowledge of what it means to witness, tend to, AND mindfully BE WITH ones own darkness.
BOW
Hibernation isn't something that comes naturally to a sunlight worshipping, extroverted go getter such as yourself,
but over these last couple years you have come to understand
"the ways of my people" ;)
And found that there are some benefits of slowing down, especially during the winter months.
I bow to your openess to learn new ways of being that benefit you
AND that creates more opportunities for us to connect more deeply.
BOW
Speaking of you being a sunlight worshiper! ;)
Winter Solstice has always been an important day to both of us,
but it has become apparent that it is extra special to you.
As the daylight returns I see you're hope and joy spark more with every daily gain of daylight.
I bow to the spectrum of your sparkle during the winter months, wether it is ebbing into darkness, hibernating or reigniting.
AND I bow to who and how you are during every season of the year and in every season of our relationship.
BOW
Toshi to Liza Winter Bow:
If you know Liza, or even have just spent a little time with her, you probably have noticed that she has a very special spark of joy to her that comes out through her unmistakable laughter, her playful silliness, and her memorizing presence of her dance.
Her spark has brought a much needed light in many a dark moment in my life.
I’m guessing more than a few of you have experienced this yourself with her, and for me, Liza’s light has helped me with through many of my own seasonal depressions, not just by bringing sparks of joy, but by illuminating for me that winter is a season where I often find myself facing some of my own shadows. In those moments of darkness, even a small spark can bring much needed hope and encouragement.
Today we invited you all to wear Onsies, not just to break the formalities of traditional weddings, but as a symbol of the comforting playfulness and warmth we all need to foster, when facing the winters of our souls.
Liza, your are the ONESIE that I love.
Today I bow to the warmth of love that you bring to others through your presence and movement through the world.
BOW
I bow to the twinkle in your eye, the beauty of your movement through the world. and your infectious laughter that reminds me of the precious light of being alive, even when life sometimes feels dark.
BOW
And I bow to not just your silliness, but your willingness to find comfort in stillness, of the slower seasons, where growth comes not from adventure and exploration, but from contemplation and integration.
BOW
Liza, I bow the very special ONESIE that you are.
BOW
Dearest Toshi,
When I think of fall…
I think of the equinox, harvesting and composting .
The equinox is about the equal distribution of day and night. It makes me think of all the important self care you do to maintain your own internal balance. I’m so proud of how you take care of yourself and I’m so grateful to have such an emotionally intelligent partner.
You are so great at harvesting the good things in life and sharing them with others. I’m so honored to assist in many of your grand plans, enjoy the fun gatherings with the quality people in your life and truly appreciate the creative collaborations you often instigate. You are so generous with your joy, care and gratitude. Your extroversion is such an amazing fertilizer for fun!!!
In our relationship we mostly enjoy an abundance of compatibility and laughter daily, yet we have our fair share of difficult moments. In those moments it’s clear we need to compost somethings. I want to honor your ability to process the hard stuff with me and create a deeper richer connection. Thank you for your dedication to that which strengthens our team… team WEEE!!!!
I Bow to you, my love, my partner and my equal.
Toshi to Liza Fall Bow:
Autumn is a time of colors, especially here in beautiful New England.
Liza, if you don’t know her well Is particularly tuned into color. She selected the colors for our wedding outfits based on her favorite colors.
So I first bow to your expert taste in color, especially teal which you wear so well.
But more seriously, your sense of color is part of your deeper superpower,
Liza, I bow to your deep presence in your surroundings and all the hues, textures, shades you help me to not miss as we move through this beautiful life together.
Autumn is also the time of transformation and transition.
One of my first memories of you is seeing a video you posted on Facebook when you we grieving the end of your previous marriage. This was over a year before we started dating and we barely knew each other.
The video was an intimatean emotional recording yourself singing an acapella version of Cindy Lauper’s “True Colors”. From the video I could tell you were processing some deep sadness and it was striking, not just what a talented singer you are, but how raw and vulnerable you were being with your process. Later I learned how much courage you have in processing very difficult things using creative ritual and vulnerability.
Liza, I bow to your love of Cindy Lauper, and to how you let your true colors shine even in adversity, and how you use your creativity to grow through difficult challenges in your life.
Autumn is also the season of harvest. A time where our work from previous seasons is transformed into abundance that sustains and nurtures us.
Liza, I bow to you as my growth partner and to the many seasons of working the soil of our relationship, the special care which you nurture our mutual growth, and the many harvests that we have been able rejoice in together in celebration as we do today.your close attention to detail.
Liza to Toshi Summer Bow
Dearest Toshi, When I think of summer…
Toshi to Liza Summer Bow
(Liza physically Bows to Toshi)