VOWS & BOWS 

Liza to Toshi Winter Bow:

Dearest Toshi,

When I think of winter…

I think of the gradual loss of daylight, hibernation and the winter solstice.

The gradual loss of daylight slows most plant growth towards the sun and instead relies on the roots to reach into the dark depths to sustain through the cold of winter. You my love, have much in common with plants during the winter months. 

I know how important sunlight is to your mental health. You have learned over the years to embrace the dimming of the light and dig deeper to find new hidden nutrients within the darkness of your thoughts and feelings.

I Bow to your depth of introspection, self care and growing knowledge of what it means to witness, tend to, AND mindfully BE WITH ones own darkness.

BOW

Hibernation isn't something that comes naturally to a sunlight worshipping, extroverted go getter such as yourself,

but over these last couple years you have come to understand

"the ways of my people" ;) 

And found that there are some benefits of slowing down, especially during the winter months.

I bow to your openess to learn new ways of being that benefit you

AND that creates more opportunities for us to connect more deeply. 

BOW

Speaking of you being a sunlight worshiper! ;)

Winter Solstice has always been an important day to both of us,

but it has become apparent that it is extra special to you.

As the daylight returns I see you're hope and joy spark more with every daily gain of daylight.

I bow to the spectrum of your sparkle during the winter months, wether it is ebbing into darkness, hibernating or reigniting.

AND I bow to who and how you are during every season of the year and in every season of our relationship.

BOW

Toshi to Liza Winter Bow:

If you know Liza, or even have just spent a little time with her, you probably have noticed that she has a very special spark of joy to her that comes out through her unmistakable laughter, her playful silliness, and her memorizing presence of her dance.

Her spark has brought a much needed light in many a dark moment in my life. 

I’m guessing more than a few of you have experienced this yourself with her, and for me, Liza’s light has helped me with through many of my own seasonal depressions, not just by bringing sparks of joy, but by illuminating for me that winter is a season where I often find myself facing some of my own shadows. In those moments of darkness, even a small spark can bring much needed hope and encouragement.

Today we invited you all to wear Onsies, not just to break the formalities of traditional weddings, but as a symbol of the comforting playfulness and warmth we all need to foster, when facing the winters of our souls. 

Liza, your are the ONESIE that I love. 

Today I bow to the warmth of love that you bring to others through your presence and movement through the world. 

BOW

I bow to the twinkle in your eye, the beauty of your movement through the world. and your infectious laughter that reminds me of the precious light of being alive, even when life sometimes feels dark. 

BOW

And I bow to not just your silliness, but your willingness to find comfort in stillness, of the slower seasons, where growth comes not from adventure and exploration, but from contemplation and integration.

BOW

Liza, I bow the very special ONESIE that you are.

BOW 

Liza to Toshi Fall Bow:

Dearest Toshi,

When I think of fall…

I think of the equinox, harvesting and composting .

The equinox is about the equal distribution of day and night. It makes me think of all the important self care you do to maintain your own internal balance.  I’m so proud of how you take care of yourself and I’m so grateful to have such an emotionally intelligent partner.

You are so great at harvesting the good things in life and sharing them with others. I’m so honored to assist in many of your grand plans, enjoy the fun gatherings with the quality people in your life and truly appreciate the creative collaborations you often instigate. You are so generous with your joy, care and gratitude. Your extroversion is such an amazing fertilizer for fun!!!

In our relationship we mostly enjoy an abundance of compatibility and laughter daily, yet we have our fair share of difficult moments. In those moments it’s clear we need to compost somethings. I want to honor your ability to process the hard stuff with me and create a deeper richer connection. Thank you for your dedication to that which strengthens our team… team WEEE!!!!

I Bow to you, my love, my partner and my equal.

Toshi to Liza Fall Bow:

Autumn is a time of colors, especially here in beautiful New England. 

Liza, if you don’t know her well Is particularly tuned into color. She selected the colors for our wedding outfits based on her favorite colors. 

So I first bow to your expert taste in color, especially teal which you wear so well. 

But more seriously, your sense of color is part of your deeper superpower, 

Liza, I bow to your deep presence in your surroundings and all the hues, textures, shades you help me to not miss as we move through this beautiful life together. 

Autumn is also the time of transformation and transition. 

One of my first memories of you is seeing a video you posted on Facebook when you we grieving the end of your previous marriage. This was over a year before we started dating and we barely knew each other. 

The video was an intimatean emotional recording yourself singing an acapella version of Cindy Lauper’s “True Colors”. From the video I could tell you were processing some deep sadness and it was striking, not just what a talented singer you are, but how raw and vulnerable you were being with your process. Later I learned how much courage you have in processing very difficult things using creative ritual and vulnerability. 

Liza, I bow to your love of Cindy Lauper, and to how you let your true colors shine even in adversity, and how you use your creativity to grow through difficult challenges in your life. 

Autumn is also the season of harvest. A time where our work from previous seasons is transformed into abundance that sustains and nurtures us. 

Liza, I bow to you as my growth partner and to the many seasons of working the soil of our relationship, the special care which you nurture our mutual growth, and the many harvests that we have been able rejoice in together in celebration as we do today.your close attention to detail. 

Liza to Toshi Summer Bow

Dearest Toshi, When I think of summer…

I think of your love of light, your reflective nature and your adventurousness.

With that special twinkle in your eyes, You light up my life… literally and metaphorically.

I’m so grateful for all the sunsets you get us to, the collaborative light projects we do and our shared love for improbable moments of light.

Light also makes me think of your honesty, clear communication and your willingness to be vulnerable.

I admire your ability to Self reflect,

you have a willingness to question your own thoughts, words and actions; not only in our relationship but in the world.

It’s a rare quality and it assists in our growth and navigation as partners.

Your sense of adventure includes amazing optimization, planning abilities and a “can do it all” attitude.

Over the years you have learned my two love languages are, Acts of Service and Quality Time. I appreciate how you incorporate them into our adventures, because you make me feel absolutely loved. You often figure out how to do less now and yet, make it feel like more.

Toshi, I bow so VERY DEEPLY to the gift you are in this world and to me.

(Liza physically Bows to Toshi)

Toshi to Liza Summer Bow

Summer is one of the most fun and exciting seasons of the year, especially in a magical place like Alaska.  

Liza, my love, today I honor that you are not only in the process of becoming my wife, but you are also my adventure partner in life. 

When we think of someone who is “adventurous” we often think of people who have the willingness to explore amazing places, but Liza’s adventurous curiosity also extends as deeply into exploring herself as it does the world. 

Exploration also takes COURAGE, to face the unknown and embrace new things, both wonderful and challenging.

Liza, I also BOW to the COURAGE you bring to explore the world with me, and to exploring the wonderful, and sometimes challenging world that is our relationship. 

Liza I bow to the  PLAYFULNESS that you bring to every journey and I also bow to the CARE and CONCERN you bring to try and make our adventures smoother and safer.

Summer is also about JOY. Liza, I BOW to the sparkle of life I see in your eye as you encounter the wonders of life. 

I BOW to your infectious and unmistakable laughter, 

and I bow to both the SILLINESS and the SERIOUSNESS you bring to our adventures that keeps them fun and safe. 

Liza, I  BOW to your commitment to CURIOSITY It is this curiosity that will keep our eyes and hearts open to the discovery that will keep us, and our relationship, fresh and resilient for many years to come. 

(Toshi physically Bows to Liza)

Liza to Toshi Spring Bow

'Tis the Spring season. A season of seeds, new pathways, growth, colors and warmth emerging from the cold and gray of winter; depending on where you live of course.

Toshi and I have shared many Springs together 
literally and metaphorically over the last 10 years, 
but there are a few Spring like qualities that Toshi possesses that I specifically am grateful for 
and I deeply bow to.



Toshi, I bow to your curiosity and wonder. 
I love to see your eyes light up and sparkle when you’re excited and curious about things and people. 
Your curiosity and wonder in the world is infectious and often leads to joyful experiences. 
But it’s your curiosity and wonder within our relationship that has me feeling so very blessed.
 It has allowed us to explore new ways to be better partners to each other. 
And I’m so grateful that you are dedicated to cultivating and growing new habits with me.

Toshi, I also bow to your dedication to discovering all our personal seeds, those things that created the unique individuals we are. I really feel cared for because of how much you listen and ponder my history, thoughts and feelings.
 You see me more clearly than anyone has and I appreciate how much you continue to discover with me.
 

Because of you, I see myself more clearly, confidently and I feel more comfortable being myself.
 Thank you for being such an important part of OUR continued growth, my continued growth and such a collaborative partner.
 I love you and I bow deeply to the gift you are in this world and to me.

(Liza physically Bows to Toshi)

Toshi to Liza Spring Bow

My dear, Liza. Today, on this BEAUTY filled spring day, I bow to you.
We stand here today, surrounded by our friends and family, to create this special moment to honor the partnership we have grown together over these past 10 years.

I bow to the GROWTH you have cultivated in yourself, always digging deeper into the roots of who you are, with a courage and curiosity to explore who you were, who you are, and who you might become.

I bow to the RESILIENCE you have demonstrated and shared with me as we have gone through many cycles and seasons of our relationship, always coming back together in our shared dedication to growth, and a willingness to blossom into new forms, while staying rooted in our shared commitment to loving ourselves and each other the best we can.

Liza, I also bow today to your BEAUTY. Now, I want to clarify something. While I am quite happy to have found such a good looking human to be my wife, that’s not what I’m talking about here. As many of you know, gratitude is central to my life. I even consider it to be my religion of sorts, keeping me in balance and present in this precious life we are given. Within my practice of gratitude, the word “beauty” has a very specific meaning. It’s not just something pretty to look at. For me, “beauty” is the word I use to describe that which makes me feel grateful to be alive.

Liza, my love, today, and everyday, you make me feel so very grateful to be alive, and I look forward to savoring that sweetness of life with you for the rest of our lives. I bow to the beauty you create in the world, and in my life, and I commit myself to celebrating the joy of life with you and being grateful for each and every day we can share together.

(Toshi physically Bows to Liza)