Love Thursday: Engagement Party

During my recent time at home, we threw a little India-themed engagement party for an old friend. Now, this being Love Thursday, and knowing it was an engagement party, you might think the evening was just to celebrate romantic love and an impending marriage. And, in a way, it was. But looking back at these photos, I think it was more about the love between old friends (and sisters). There is such love and comfort in the traditions of our friendship, having little dress-up parties such as this one (and this one in May), where we all wore saris, which require hands-on help for those of us who don’t wear them more than once a year. We also celebrate with special food during these get-togethers, enjoying each other’s company and old jokes.

And this time, I was appointed henna master, doing something I’d never tried before. There was something touching in the way eight women trustingly held their hands out to me, allowing me to trace designs on their skin that would remain for at least a week or two. And this is perhaps the heart of the matter: we’ve already traced designs on each other’s hearts and lives in the years we’ve known each other, designs that perhaps are a bit wobbly or uneven in places, but that remain forever nonetheless.

Thanks for my sister's help with two of these photos, since my hands were a little busy!