Wedding at Sharp Rock Vineyards

I drove to Virginia a few weeks ago to attend my brother’s wedding. It was really great and I’d like to say a few things about it and share the pictures that I took.

First, I’ll say what I have to say. If I post the pictures above the text, people will just look at them and not read what I wrote.

It was a good trip. The wedding was located at Sharp Rock Vineyards in Sperryville, VA, which is situated on the Hughes River at the foot of Old Rag Mountain. I’ll tell you this, it’s a beautiful venue for a wedding. You’ll see in the photos below.

I won’t write about much of the trip because that’s kind of boring. Just my feelings on how I enjoyed watching people vacation at the motel we stayed at. It’s something I haven’t seen in a while. Vacations in the mountains remind me of what we used to do a lot when I was a kid. I thought people didn’t do it anymore, but when I saw everyone swimming in the pool having a good time, I was reminded that they do.

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I was so happy when we pulled into the driveway of the vineyard. I saw my nephew walking up the gravel path to the tasting room and then I saw my aunt. I haven’t seen her for years. It was so exciting to see everyone again like this.

After we parked and talked to some of the relatives for a few minutes, I saw my brother walking down the driveway. I chased him down and gave him a hug. He’s the type of guy who gets a hug and says, “Yeah, yeah,” but after you don’t let go, he eventually hugs you back.

Relative to the rest of my family, I have seen my brother the most over the years. Whether he knows it or not, he’s one of the people I connect with the most. I generally have one way connections because I don’t give a lot. I understand that I am very limited in my expression of this with basically everyone, but when I look at him, I see so much of me. I can understand the way he feels and I know what’s important to him. After all these years of not living together, I still know about his sensitivities and what he cares about. I explained my relationship with my brother to someone yesterday very clearly. I said, “My relationship with my brother is between the two of us. No one else. Not a soul on the planet has anything to do with our relationship.” That’s the way I keep these things. I like it that way. When I isolate relationships, my appreciation of them is so much stronger.

So here’s what I liked about the wedding. I was impressed with the fact that it was held at a location that meant something to those who planned it. It was held at a place that would be visited again and again and talked about forever. I overheard someone ask the vineyard owner about the history of the main house. The owner responded, “I believe this house was built by a seventeen year old after he returned from the civil war.” I find that type of history valuable and I think my brother and his wife can spend days of simply sitting on the hillside enjoying each other’s company. So that’s what I liked about the venue. I liked that it had meaning.

I get a very warm feeling when I think about the enjoyment my brother will have with who he married. The wedding was the first time I met her and I could tell that she lives up to all those nice things my family has been saying for years. They have similar interests and when two people with big hearts get together, good things can happen. I have these feelings day in and day out with my own relationship. Connection matters and being with someone who can listen to you and accept and understand who you are is invaluable. It brings things to a deeper level and makes life a bit more complete than it was before.

I noticed so many things. I noticed the wine barrel my brother made, I noticed the tablecloths my sister made, I noticed the game the kids were playing and I noticed the location of the marriage. It was on a small hilltop in view of Old Rag Mountain. It had meaning for both of them and I just love seeing those things float around in other people’s minds. I also love thinking about the conversations that must have taken place when planning the wedding. I get the feeling there was a lot of agreement because with something like this, there was so much to agree about.

I think what left the biggest impression on me was the fact that my brother is at peace. He didn’t seem nervous and was very comfortable with where he was in life. I told him that I am so proud of where he has found himself. It’s not about what he has, it’s about achieving what he feels. That’s tough to do and the fact that he has placed himself in a nook with someone he loves is great.

Boy, I’ve said enough.