Like a horse and carriage...

Love and marriage. It's what happens. It's a multicultural paradigm, and for us twenty-somethings, it's not an uncommon or undesireable event.

But there are those certain engagements that make you stop to ponder. You sit back and let the news permeate every fissure and every nook.

Perhaps it's the engagement of a close friend, or a school-mate of your youth, or whacky Aunt Gertrude, who no one ever thought would make it down the aisle.

And then, every so often, you hear about special engagements. And by special I mean they involve people of your romantic past. Girlfriends. Boyfriends. Sweethearts, studs, significant others and the like.

And so for me, this year will hold two such special engagements — my old flames rekindled in the arms of different hearths.

Now I'm not writing to complain about unrequited feelings. The old flames? I'm over them. Not even an ashen smudge do I carry as a result.

But, with recent news of what will be my second special engagement of the year, I take pause to consider several interesting details of the marriage to be.

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Special Engagement No. 2

As the wedding bells ring and my old flame, who we'll call Sally, strolls tranquilly, weightlessly down the aisle, the last name she'll leave the church with will be one I know quite well.

Stewart.

And more amusing is that the particular day those wedding bells will sing their sweet, nuptial tune will be December 21st. An ordinary day for some. But, for me, the day tends to carry a special meaning. It's my birthday.

So we've got Sally marrying and becoming Mrs. Stewart. And all this hapiness taking place on the day of my birth...

But really, I've just two comments about these facts:

1. Stewart is and always will be the definitive lesser spelling of the name.
2. December 21st is the shortest day of the year — winter's lovely Solstice.

My apologies, Sally.

You'll inherit an unfortunately spelled genealogy, and you're getting married on the day with the fewest hours, minutes and seconds to its name.

But truthfully, perhaps sharing a birthday with the wedding anniversary of an old flame will be kind of intriguing. Wherever I am on the evenings of future December 21sts, I know I'll always have an ally.

Time will pass and me and Sally will see each other even less than we do now, but we'll always be there, on that day, strangely united.

Me with a mug of beer in one hand for another year gone by. Kaslosh! And Sally with a crystal of red wine for another blissful 12 months with Mr. Stewart. Clink.

So friends, take note of these special engagements, if only for the sake of mild entertainment.

And know that wherever there's a horse, a carriage is not far behind.

To you Sally I have just one question:

What day were YOU born on? I might get married soon myself.