The Mark of the Morningstar: 20 Years After Eve Gave Him the Apple

This story really starts almost 40 years ago when a colicky baby was fostered by a young family in Central Pennsylvania.

I was that baby, given to a foster family at the beginning of July in 1975. That's when I met my big brother for the first time.

I didn't know so much at the time. I just knew I was in pain whenever I ate and it was probably really hard to sleep. I had only been born a few months before and didn't know who all these new people were.

These people would grow to be my family, my loved ones, my mother, my father and my big brother, Aaron.

I'm told that Aaron was excited to get a baby brother. He was five at the time and was part of a family that took in foster children. There were several children that came and went - kids that would be friends for a while and then move on to other families. I think from the beginning he had a suspicion that I would be the one to stay.

From the beginning, we got along well. My parents tell me that Aaron would crawl into my crib with me as a baby. As we got older, we would play together on the farm. One such scene is immortalized in a mural painted by our grandmother in our parents' greenhouse/sun room. It's a painting with paper photo appliques of the different animals and the two of us splashing in a mud puddle in the back driveway.

Once Aaron hit middle school and high school, he grew much more independent. He started discovering girls and hanging out with friends his age. I wasn't too happy about this in the beginning, though I started to become more independent at that age also.

I would become the annoying younger brother that would try to poke my nose in his business whenever I could. I can remember one particular time when there was a party at our house. I can't remember if it was a birthday party or a celebratory after party for one of the plays he was in at school. What I do remember is following him and a girl he was walking around with outside. I must not have been happy that he was with this particular girl, because I kept splashing my soda on the back of her legs. I could be a brat sometimes.

My brother is very intelligent. He got a great education at a Franciscan private school. His senior year of high school was spent in Germany. Higher education found him at Johns Hopkins.

Aaron made a lot of friends at JHU, some life-long. The best of these was Eve Gurian.

I can remember the first time going to their house in Baltimore. It was a beautiful brownstone townhouse with cool nooks and crannies all over the place. I loved visiting - every time, I would meet someone new and exciting. It could be one of their many friends, Eve's family, any one of the many colorful, sometimes eccentric personalities that have touched our lives. Little did I know that these people would still be in my life now!

That relationship between Aaron and Eve would grow with their love and lead to their eventual marriage.

September 18, 1994

The plan was to have the wedding in the apple orchards of Adams County, Pennsylvania. The plans were being made. Eve's dress was being sewn. All the preparations were underway. The one thing we had no control over was the weather.

Fall in Central PA could mean rain or shine. There was no telling until closer to the wedding date. My parents insisted on a Plan B in case of bad weather. This wedding was set to be outside in the orchard - what was Plan B? Umbrellas from the local funeral home.

It looked like we might need them as the big day got closer. The night before was the rehearsal dinner. Family and friends had been arriving from all over the world to celebrate. Dinner was wonderful, but all I can remember was the thunder and lightning and the rain pounding on the roof of the restaurant.

As it turns out, we only needed the umbrellas to make sure the wedding day was dry and sunny!

Sometime overnight, the storm stopped. We arrived at the orchard in sun and beautiful weather. The ground was dry enough and stable enough for everyone to get around easily. The only hint of the weather the night before was the wind , but it caused no trouble and added to beauty of the day.

As one of the four holders of the chuppah or traditional Jewish wedding canopy, I got to be right up front in all the excitement. The mingling of two traditions, Jewish and Lutheran, was an interesting process. The ceremony was a combination of both, mixing readings from both the Bible and the Torah. Members of both families helped officiate in English and Hebrew. It was a very fascinating process, right down to crushing the ceremonial goblet at the end.

Aaron was a handsome groom and Eve a beautiful bride. I am very proud of my brother for marrying such a wonderful woman. Eve is one of the most beautiful and intelligent women I have ever met. They compliment each other in every way.

Whenever our family gets together, there is always talk of some exciting adventure that has happened with them. I always enjoy hearing stories of what they are doing in their lives, where they've been and who they've met.

The years have been good to my brother and sister. They have been blessed with three fantastic children who lead spectacular lives. All three follow in their parents' footsteps to excellence.

Aaron and Eve have raised their children in the Jewish faith. They've now gone through two Bar Mitzvahs and one Bat Mitzvah. I am proud to have attended all three - watching my niece and nephews step into adulthood and their faith.

I am very happy to have these wonderful people in my family and my life. They have helped me when I've been down. They've given me structure to get me back on my feet. I may be distant at times, well, most times, but I know they are there for me and my husband and they love us both.

They have both always been encouraging in everything I do in my life. They've both been very honest and up-front with me. Aaron and Eve have made me feel more comfortable about myself as a person - from the moment they told me they like me better with men than with women at a time I didn't know myself so well. There have even been times they have helped me without even knowing.

Aaron. Eve. I am proud to call you my brother and sister. Congratulations on 20 years of marriage. I am glad to have watched your family grow and to watch the two of you grow deeper in love. Jon and I strive to follow in your example. Here's to many more happy years of wedded bliss!

I've included a few pictures from the past 20 years. I know they will bring back wonderful memories as if they happened yesterday! I would love to give credit where credit is due, but I don't know all of the photographers. I'll give it my best shot at the end of the post.