It was inevitable. The first of my daughters friends have gotten married. Two weddings in two weekends. As she and her friends graduate from college and begin their careers, the next obvious step for them is marriage and family.
This weekend, I had the pleasure of witnessing one of her friends getting married. This wedding wasn’t just one of the first, it was actually special to me for other reasons. That is because this bride was special to ME.
My daughter became friends with the bride back in junior high school. They were both part of this large group of friends that hung out with each other over the years. These friends, both guys and gals, spent many happy times together. They always seemed to move in a pack. Every school play, school dance, school sports event, whatever the occasion…they hung out together through it all…always remaining the closest of friends. Even as they separated to attend different colleges, they always managed to keep in close contact.
So, from this large circle of friends why is the bride so special? That is easy. We developed a special relationship early on. I remember many times when she came to the house to visit with my daughter, that we would get into the best conversations. She was never afraid to talk to me about what was on her mind. She accompanied us on many shopping excursions, and even joined our family for my daughters high school graduation trip to Hawaii. I knew that visiting Hawaii was a dream of hers, so it made perfect sense to ask her join us on this celebratory trip.
I clearly remember the day when she called and wanted to drop by. She had been living on the other s
ide of our state, attending college, but she had someone that she wanted me to meet. Wow…this was new. It was easy to see how much they cared about each other, and it was clear what a wonderful young man her beau was. I knew immediately that “this was it”.
As I arrived at the wedding location, I saw her Mom, who told me to go visit with her as she was waiting for the ceremony to begin. As I walked into the room, I took one look at this young girl who was definitely all grown up now…and I immediately burst into tears. Of course, every bride is beautiful on her wedding day, but she was stunning! All those years of watching her grow into this beautiful young woman, listening to her dreams, sharing her hopes…I knew that this was right. This was the beginning of her future…of their story.
Congratulations to the beautiful couple. I am so happy for you, and love you both dearly!