Speakers
at the Matrimonial Celebration
Justice of the Peace: Jim Collins
Jim Collins is Dartmouth Class of 1984 and a professional writer whose work has appeared in Reader’s Digest, Glamour, This Old House Magazine, Yankee, and Outside, among other publications such as his first book, The Last Best League, published in April 2004. He was connected with Yankee magazine for 16 years, the last two years as its editor. Before becoming editor at Yankee Jim was the acting editor of the Dartmouth Alumni Magazine. It was through this magazine that Jon met Jim. He lives on the shoulder of Mount Cardigan in Orange, New Hampshire, with his wife Kristen Laine, daughter Ursula, and son Virgil. Last January Marisol, Peter Kohl, and Jeanne Colwell also met Jim and his family as Jon is helping him with his and Kristen’s writing web site.
Jim’s Reflection and Pronouncement
Welcome
Good morning. We are gathered in this beautiful place to celebrate a
coming together: of cultures, of families, of two very special people.
In that unifying spirit, and on behalf of Jon and Marisol, I welcome all
of you.
I was delighted when Jon and Marisol asked me to perform this ceremony
- I have known Jon since his days at Dartmouth College. We share both
a sense of place and a love of the written word. Jon and Marisol have
visited my home and family here in New Hampshire. They share the only
second language I have ever known. They share a commitment to the earth
and a sustainable way of life that I admire and aspire to. The connections
run deep.
I should say that I am not a religious minister. I am a justice of the peace, a legal witness in this state for joyous occasions such as this one. Actually, I prefer the title a friend once gave me: justice of the peaceful. That seems especially appropriate on this day, in this place.
You may already sense that today’s is not a conventional celebration. It reflects who Jon and Marisol are, and it reflects their values. There will not be lot of show, or ornamentation, or excess, or tradition for the sake of tradition. Just a simple, heartfelt celebration designed for its purpose: to create a space where two families come together and where opposites converge to be one. In this world of increasing duality, where so many complex issues are reduced to right and wrong, us and them, we are here in a different place, to celebrate a unification. Everything about this celebration has been considered thoughtfully. Directly following the ceremony, we will enjoy an internationally flavored meal made from locally produced and organic food, in the absence of disposables. Our tables are graced with the blending of simple, cultural symbols. We are surrounded not by a windowless, artificial hall, but this natural, growing, living space.
Marisol and Jon have invited us to share in a conversation with them, to bring all of us into their celebration and their story, and to learn more about the convergence of their lives. I encourage all of you to ask them questions and to add comments of your own. I'd like to start by asking:
With Marisol and Jon before us, I now ask: If everyone gathered here encourages and supports this union of opposites - spanish here... please let them know by saying Sí or Yes!
Mrs. Kohl, may we please have the rings?
These rings, made in Costa Rica, reflect the universal symbol of joining together, of fullness, of completeness. Worn on the finger, that unification will encompass the body, literally, of Marisol and Jon. [Give the rings to Marisol and Jon.]
Jon: Do you promise to join your life and your love with Marisol, to be ever mindful, thoughtful, and faithful, to each other and to the ideals and values you both share, and to make your two beings one? [repeat in Spanish]
Marisol: Do you promise to join your life and your love with Jon, to be ever mindful, thoughtful, and faithful, to each other and to the ideals and values you both share, and to make your two beings one? [repeat in Spanish]
By the authority in me vested as a Justice of the Peace in the state
of New Hampshire, I am delighted to pronounce this mediation of opposites
[add Spanish], this union of two individuals now become one [add Spanish].
Now you may kiss!
