Almost a month ago, I flew back east to be in my best friend Kiija’s wedding. On my drive from BWI, I got lost in the abyss known as Northern Virginia. However, the stars had aligned and I came across this great Pie shop in a small town on the way to Shenandoah National Park. Mom’s was filled with home made baked goods, baked on site in the kitchen that crept right up to the cash register and glass case in the front. The two young girls working there looked like sisters and had a wholesome and unjaded friendliness that can be hard to find in urban centers. The short amount of time I was in there, deciding between the fresh pumpkin muffins or a slice of just-baked apple pie, several locals came in to say hello to the girls and have a cookie. It was on a “busy” corner in the town, anchoring it as a community meeting spot. It was the perfect welcome after a long trip across the country.

The wedding was beautiful and I was so honored to be a part of it. I have never seen two people more in love or deserving of each other. As individuals, they each have so many admirable qualities that only make their relationship richer and deeper. The wedding was held on the Appalaichan trail and the reception afterwards was held in an old lodge hall in the park. Fresh local foods were in abundance as were tearful toasts of joy and happiness for the newlyweds. The cake was made by a local cake maker, using Kiija’s grandmothers cake-topper as her own. Layers of the families personal history and memory were incorporated into the wedding. It was not only a celebration of the love Kiija and Brent have for eachother, but a rejoycing of how that love has connected two families and multitudes of their friends.