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COVID rules prevented her Canadian family from attending her wedding—she had it on the border

COVID rules prevented her Canadian family from attending her wedding—she had it on the border
via Ken Lund/Flickr and PixaBay

Love knows no boundaries, as Karen Mahoney and Brian Ray proved when they said "I do."

We're 18 months into the COVID-19 pandemic and there are still travel restrictions between the United States and Canada. The U.S. recently re-upped its ban on nonessential travel by foreigners despite Ottawa's decision to open its border to vaccinated Americans.

Unfortunately, this meant that Karen Mahoney from New York wouldn't be able to have her 96-year-old Canadian grandmother attend her wedding south of the border.

The grandmother would be able to fly into America; however, Karen thought that would put her at risk for catching COVID-19.


"She's my only living grandparent, the only grandparent I've ever known, so it was very important for me for her to be there to watch the happiest day of my life," Karen told CNN. "The most important part of the day for us was the promises we told to each other, and we wanted my parents and grandmother to witness that."

But Karen wouldn't let border restrictions get in the way of having her beloved grandmother be there for the big day.

Karen and her new husband, Brian Ray, have a friend who works for the border patrol. Previously, he allowed for a meeting between them and her father at the border. On that day, Brian asked for her hand in marriage.

The friend then stepped up a second time and arranged for the couple to have a wedding ceremony on the U.S.-Canadian border in Burke, New York on September 25. The wedding took place in a spot that didn't resemble an international border. There were no markers or fences; it just looks like a quiet meadow.

Karen's family stood on the Canadian side while the wedding party and officiant were positioned in the U.S. Both parties were asked not to cross the imaginary line and break international laws.

"The minister asked them if they (my parents) acknowledge that Brian was vowing to love me the rest of our lives, and did they accept him into the Mahoney clan, and they responded, 'We do' and that was extremely emotional," Karen said.

"I cried," Brian said. "It was good for me, because I knew how much it meant to her to have her parents and her grandmother here and see us exchanging vows."

After the border wedding, the couple had another celebration in the States where they signed the official marriage certificate.

It has been a long trip to the altar for Karen and Brian. They met in 1985 when Brian taught her how to ski. They remained friends even though they both married other people. Both marriages lasted 19 years and each produced two boys.

The couple reconnected on Facebook when Brian was selling a car that Karen loved. They soon started dating and after a year, Brian proposed to her on a mountain in Vermont.

"Just an epic day of skiing and bluebird sky. It just was absolutely perfect," Karen said.

"Forever and a day and then some. That's our thing," Brian said.

Identity

Celebrate International Women's Day with these stunning photos of female leaders changing the world

The portraits, taken by acclaimed photographer Nigel Barker, are part of CARE's "She Leads the World" campaign.

Images provided by CARE

Kadiatu (left), Zainab (right)

True

Women are breaking down barriers every day. They are transforming the world into a more equitable place with every scientific discovery, athletic feat, social justice reform, artistic endeavor, leadership role, and community outreach project.

And while these breakthroughs are happening all the time, International Women’s Day (Mar 8) is when we can all take time to acknowledge the collective progress, and celebrate how “She Leads the World.”

This year, CARE, a leading global humanitarian organization dedicated to empowering women and girls, is celebrating International Women’s Day through the power of portraiture. CARE partnered with high-profile photographer Nigel Barker, best known for his work on “America’s Next Top Model,” to capture breathtaking images of seven remarkable women who have prevailed over countless obstacles to become leaders within their communities.

“Mabinty, Isatu, Adama, and Kadiatu represent so many women around the world overcoming incredible obstacles to lead their communities,” said Michelle Nunn, President and CEO of CARE USA.

Barker’s bold portraits, as part of CARE’s “She Leads The World” campaign, not only elevate each woman’s story, but also shine a spotlight on how CARE programs helped them get to where they are today.

About the women:

Mabinty

international womens day, care.org

Mabinty is a businesswoman and a member of a CARE savings circle along with a group of other women. She buys and sells groundnuts, rice, and fuel. She and her husband have created such a successful enterprise that Mabinty volunteers her time as a teacher in the local school. She was the first woman to teach there, prompting a second woman to do so. Her fellow teachers and students look up to Mabinty as the leader and educator she is.

Kadiatu

international womens day, care.org

Kadiatu supports herself through a small business selling food. She also volunteers at a health clinic in the neighboring village where she is a nursing student. She tests for malaria, works with infants, and joins her fellow staff in dancing and singing with the women who visit the clinic. She aspires to become a full-time nurse so she can treat and cure people. Today, she leads by example and with ambition.

Isatu

international womens day, care.org

When Isatu was three months pregnant, her husband left her, seeking his fortune in the gold mines. Now Isatu makes her own way, buying and selling food to support her four children. It is a struggle, but Isatu is determined to be a part of her community and a provider for her kids. A single mother of four is nothing if not a leader.

Zainab

international womens day, care.org

Zainab is the Nurse in Charge at the Maternal Child Health Outpost in her community. She is the only nurse in the surrounding area, and so she is responsible for the pre-natal health of the community’s mothers-to-be and for the safe delivery of their babies. In a country with one of the world’s worst maternal death rates, Zainab has not lost a single mother. The community rallies around Zainab and the work she does. She describes the women who visit the clinic as sisters. That feeling is clearly mutual.

Adama

international womens day, care.org

Adama is something few women are - a kehkeh driver. A kehkeh is a three-wheeled motorcycle taxi, known elsewhere as a tuktuk. Working in the Kissy neighborhood of Freetown, Adama is the primary breadwinner for her family, including her son. She keeps her riders safe in other ways, too, by selling condoms. With HIV threatening to increase its spread, this is a vital service to the community.

Ya Yaebo

international womens day, care.org

“Ya” is a term of respect for older, accomplished women. Ya Yaebo has earned that title as head of her local farmers group. But there is much more than that. She started as a Village Savings and Loan Association member and began putting money into her business. There is the groundnut farm, her team buys and sells rice, and own their own oil processing machine. They even supply seeds to the Ministry of Agriculture. She has used her success to the benefit of people in need in her community and is a vocal advocate for educating girls, not having gone beyond grade seven herself.

On Monday, March 4, CARE will host an exhibition of photography in New York City featuring these portraits, kicking off the multi-day “She Leads the World Campaign.

Learn more, view the portraits, and join CARE’s International Women's Day "She Leads the World" celebration at CARE.org/sheleads.


Health

Over or under? Surprisingly, there actually is a 'correct' way to hang a toilet paper roll.

Let's settle this silly-but-surprisingly-heated debate once and for all.

Elya/Wikimedia Commons

Should you hang the toilet paper roll over or under?



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Humans have debated things large and small over the millennia, from the democracy to breastfeeding in public to how often people ought to wash their sheets.

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The "over or under" question has plagued marriages and casual acquaintances alike for over 100 years, with both sides convinced they have the soundest reasoning for putting their toilet paper loose end out or loose end under. Some people feel so strongly about right vs. wrong TP hanging that they will even flip the roll over when they go to the bathroom in the homes of strangers.

Contrary to popular belief, it's not merely an inconsequential preference. There is actually a "correct" way to hang toilet paper, according to health experts as well as the man who invented the toilet paper roll in the first place.

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Photo via iStock.

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The son is badly injured. Paramedics rush him to the hospital.

Photo via iStock.

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