Last Wednesday, I was presented with a folder in which 4 pieces of paper were snuggled into a pocket. The three children each had their hand on the folder when they presented it to me.

Inside the folder were two certificates of registration for two stars. One is for Melissa and Beth and one is for Catherine, Nicholas, and Sophia. They are twin stars in the Columba constellation. That specific constellation was chosen because its name is Latin for dove, and I have always called Beth my little dove.

Here’s what the kids wrote in comments:

Let’s make a cult (others refer to this as a family)! Twin stars are stars that shine light on one another within the same constellation. Let us be a family/cult who shine so much light, peace, and love on one another and on others in the universe in such a way that no one ever knows from which direction it comes – like cotton eye Joe. That’s us…in our constellation in this universe. Also, will you just marry our Mommy already?

I was crying and looking at those sweet kids when I said yes. Then Beth put her hand on my leg and said, “You will?” in an excited, somewhat disbelieving tone. At that moment I realized that I hadn’t actually said yes to her so I turned to her and kissed her and said, “Yes.”

I’ve never had a family ask me to join their cult to spread light and love in the universe. This is definitely my kind of cult.

With all of the craziness that this past year has thrown at me and my Beth being my side through most of it, I’ve seen what all we can overcome when we’re together, even when the majority of the time it’s her strength that is dragging me through it all to the other side.

From broken hearts to terminal diagnoses and seemingly never-ending divorces to celebrations for degrees that were a long time coming, we have been each other’s rock. Not always a rock as pretty as a diamond but always as strong.

Oh, and our rings. Not diamonds. Not only did we want to make sure to have ethically sourced stones BUT Beth was drawn to Moissanite stones but she wasn’t sure why. Being the curious kitten I am, I looked further into that stone. Here’s what I found.

Wikipedia says:

The mineral moissanite was discovered by Henri Moissan while examining rock samples from a meteor crater located in Canyon Diablo, Arizona, in 1893. At first, he mistakenly identified the crystals as diamonds, but in 1904 he identified the crystals as silicon carbide. Artificial silicon carbide had been synthesized in the lab by Edward G. Acheson in 1891, just two years before Moissan’s discovery. The mineral form of silicon carbide was named in honor of Moissan later on in his life.

So it seems that it really was written in the stars for my dove and me.