Love.

Two of my favorites: Mer and John.
Photo by the incredibly talented Alison Lassiter, alisonlassiter.com

There was much love this weekend in a very tangible display of what happens when a lot of people come together around that love to make something beautiful. It was so wonderful to be a part of the wedding of one of my best friends who I've known since middle school to a solid, funny, deserving man who I now consider to be another one of my best friends (I'm fortunate to have many).

To celebrate with her family, who I have known since I was so young, and all of our girlfriends that have grown up together was an experience that I'll forever cherish. Every single person there was full of joy for them, there to have a good time and to celebrate and honor this amazing couple. We had so much fun with this extended group of fantastic people, instantly clicking with the friends they've gathered from all of their life paths. It's not at all surprising that these two have attracted a beautiful community around them.

It got me thinking a lot about love and the power of it. There was so much to go around: a regular love fest of happy tears and hearty laughs and hugs all weekend long from rehearsal dinner speeches to a post-wedding day school bus ride to the beach. It was real and beautiful and it made my soul so happy to stand there beside her to see her through this most important day in her life.

I truly believe that love can give us the strength to get through anything. Whether it's self love, love of a life partner, love toward a friend, a child, a pet, it's what carries us through the difficult times and what magnifies the good times. Everything is just that more beautiful when you can share it with someone you love.



As may be obvious from how often I post song lyrics and videos, music is a big love of mine and Dave Matthews Band is a longtime favorite that always finds a way to provide a soundtrack to my life.

Recently they released the first single, "Mercy,"off their soon-to-be-released album. I love everything about it and everything that the lyrics convey. What I love most is the music video they created through a call to their fans for video clip participation. An incredible 14,334 people contributed from all over the world to create this video, making a big statement for the power of coming together to accomplish something of beauty.

Dave said in an interview with Billboard Magazine that he hopes the release of this song "inspires people to find the things that they love, inspires them to feel good, to feel love, or ambition, or feel powerful. Whatever they need."

I love that. Go find what you love. It'll bring you what you need.

Mercy
Don't give up

I know you can see

All the world and the mess that were making

Can't give up

And hope God will intercede

Come on back

Imagine that we could get it together

Stand up for what we need to be

Cause crime won't save our feet or hungry child

Can't lay down and hope no miracles change things

So lift up your eyes

Lift up your heart

Singing mercy will we overcome this

Oh one by one could we turn it around

Maybe carry on just a little bit longer

And I try to give you what you need

Me and you and you and you

Just want to be free yeah

But you see all the world is just as we've made it

And until we got a new world

Got to say that love is not a whisper or a weakness

No love is strong

So we got to get together yeah

Gotta get gotta get gotta get

Til there is no reason

To fight

Mercy will we overcome this

Oh one by one could we turn it around

Maybe carry on just a little bit longer

And I try to give you what you need

Yeah...

Ah...

Oh...

Yeah...

Mercy will we overcome this

Oh we come to far to turn it around

Oh and asked too much to be a little bit stronger

But I want to give you what you need

Mercy what will become of us

Oh one by one could we turn it around

Maybe carry on just a little bit longer

And I try to give you what you need