Does Valentine’s Day make you think of roses and romance and Cupid’s arrow and proposals? Of course, for me as a celebrant it does. Not so much for me, personally these days…now, when I think about my loves, my heart leaps for my grandchildren, several cartwheels at a time. But there is a connection…
I have loved my son with everything I have; surely my little old heart couldn’t stretch beyond that? Then my first granddaughter arrived, followed by the second and somehow love didn’t divide…it multiplied. I had no idea! New rooms opened inside my heart that I didn’t know were possible.
Now, my son isn’t soppy…he’s logical, always reasoned, geekily mathematical! So, if I had to write about this love like a mathematical equation, it would be simple: love times grandchildren equals a strillion. Bigger than a million, way past a billion; really, beyond anything numbers can properly hold. Infinity wrapped up in tiny arms, sticky fingers, and the sweetest laughter I’ve ever known.
Nothing about this love runs dry. Every hug makes it grow. Every Peppa story read for the hundredth time fills me up instead of wearing me down. I thought, as the grown-up, it would be me always giving, but they give back so much more…purpose, joy, a reason to keep dreaming about the future.
The beautiful thing about being a Nanna is that my love comes without any pressure. I can offer attention without expectations and guidance without control. I get to be the soft place, the safe place, the lap or the boingy ankle ride they can always come back to (as long as the knee ligaments hold out!) What a privilege that is.
They say I share about a quarter of my DNA with them, but it feels like far more. When I look at their faces, I see the continuation of my family story. I see chinks of the past shining in brand new ways, and it makes love feel eternal…I know this is something so positive, its effects will echo long after me.
So while others are celebrating candlelight and chocolates, I’m counting my valentines a little differently. Mine call me ‘Nanna’. They run into my arms. They make my world bigger, brighter, and infinitely sweeter.
And if they ever wonder how much I love them, the answer is easy.
More than numbers.
More than words.
A strillion and beyond…
I’ve offered to babysit while my son and his wife get some delicious downtime…what do you think? GC number three?
Maybe that’s exactly why being a celebrant makes my heart do cartwheels too.
When I stand with a couple on their wedding day, I’m not just seeing two people in love. I’m seeing the start of all the stories that come after. The anniversaries. The shared traditions. The couch cuddles; messy, chaotic squabbles and making up; intimate, passionate Christmases…and maybe, one day, the small humans who will sprint into everyone’s arms and change their world forever.
I get a front-row seat to Chapter One. How could I not be completely enchanted?
So when I create a ceremony, I’m thinking bigger than the aisle and the photos, the cake and the speeches. I’m thinking about the lifetime your love is about to grow into. I’m there to make it personal, unforgettable and the best, most sturdy platform to take the weight of what’s to come. The kind of beginning that deserves to echo through generations.
So, if you want a celebrant who believes love multiplies and who will cheer for your future as loud as anyone…
…pick me as your wedding celebrant this Valentine’s Day!
Latansani 