in the planning of our wedding, Jarronn and i decided that in addition to the more formal, traditional vows, we would also write and share our own. those of you who were at the wedding, know how special the vows were. those of you who weren't, may have heard about them. and some of you have asked to see them.
so i figured that in the lead up to saturday, it would be appropriate to share them. today we'll start with Jarronn's. tomorrow will be mine -- same as the order in which they were recited. the words and emphasis are exactly the way he typed them. (the quotation marks and underlining were inserted by Jarronn -- typically as his places of emphasis and humor.) hope you enjoy the picture of our love.
wedding vows
may 15, 2009
by Jarronn Jackson
Jessica Alicia Moreland also known as Chatty, sometimes known as Babylove, commonly known as Boo,
As we stand here today, I continue to be in awe of how omnipotent and wise our God is. Throughout our relationship you have been my homegirl, my support, my best friend, and the love of my life…and today I will finally call you my wife.
I vow to you that I will take the responsibility that God has entrusted in me to lead our lives together and be a responsible, considerate, open-minded, and ever-loving husband.
I promise to love you in the way that you need to be loved by listening to you, compromising with you, and praying for you.
I promise to keep our love "fresh," by following the old wisdom of "whatever you did to get her, you have to do to keep her" and finding new things for us to discover and enjoy together.
I promise to keep our love "fun," by being spontaneous, and continuing to "date" you throughout our marriage.
I also promise to accept the vulnerability that comes with loving you so completely and unconditionally.
I promise that I will "try" to not let the pride of a man cloud my judgment in our marriage; and if it does, I vow to be "man" enough to admit when I am wrong.
I promise to give you not only the euphoric, intimate, and romantic "eros" love, but to love you completely, always. Eros, philos, and agape. With this agape love, this selfless, unconditional love, I promise to always work and always try. Through the years, I may need a reminder of this, but we can always go to the DVD!
With these promises that I have made to you today, I cannot guarantee that I will be all things, always, but I promise to always try and be an active participant in our marriage. Prayerfully, as we look back on our marriage many, many years down the road, we will see that all of these promises have been fulfilled.
It is with these vows that I pledge my unconditional love to you today and always!
Simply beautiful...
ReplyDeleteAbsolutly Amazing...
ReplyDeletegirl, i'm over here crying! that was absolutely beautiful!!
ReplyDeleteThis is so beautiful, Jess. You guys' love touched not only yourselves, but everyone else around you.
ReplyDeleteI'm definitely biting off this for my future use.. RIP Jarron, i am in awe and inspired by everything i read and hear of him... Jess, to have be loved like this is to know what eternal love is...
ReplyDeletejust beautiful.
ReplyDeletewow. what a beautiful and timeless expression of Jarronn's love for you. and the photo you've attached to this post brings back memories of your wedding day, but it reminds me even more of the energy and spirit that i observed in your relationship with Jarronn in general. this was a familiar sight during any given time that we’d hang out - Jarronn being thoughtful and funny and engaging; you laughing, having a great time, enjoying him; the both of you looking at each other endearingly. this is actually what i remember most about him — the way that he looked at you. you could tell that he was smitten; that he was with the love of his life.
ReplyDeleteHey Jessica, we weren't very close at UMCP, however we were acquaintances and had mutual friends, which is how I found out about your blog. First let me say that I am very sorry for your loss and I think about you quite often and frequently ask our mutual friends how you're holding up. I have been following your blog from the beginning and had vowed that I would never post a comment. I did not want to taint your personal diary with my mindless chatter...lol. However, after reading your vows, I was compelled to write something. I did not know your husband, but it is clear that the love you all shared is something for the storybooks. I literally am moved to tears sometimes when I read some of your posts and I only dream to one day feel a PORTION of what you and Jarronn had. In a time where there is so much negative talk about male/female relationships, you give us "sucka for love" types hope that not only is this type of prideless, selfless, unconditional love feasible, but it is attainable and is something that we should strive for. I am in awe of your strength and I thank you so much for sharing your heartfelt thoughts with the world.
ReplyDeleteWow, this made me cry.
ReplyDeleteWOW!!! Breath-taking!
ReplyDeleteI'm speechless...and in tears!
ReplyDelete