The Wedding - Happily Ever After

Editor's Note: This was originally published on my MySpace blog May 8, 2006

Once we discovered that Thomas and the rest of the family was lost, my sister Vicky came to the rescue and guided them to the park where we were all waiting. There were a few of us gathered by then and the minister was beginning to look nervous despite his efforts to appear calm. Finally, we saw the car approaching and Thomas arrived, so we all headed over to a shady area. Candie and Thomas took their places a little way down the beach and Candie's friend proceeded to sing an incredibly beautiful song in her equally beautiful voice.

As I stood watching my baby girl stroll up the beach , my mind began racing from the moment she was born, to her first dance recital, her first at-bat, her first boy-girl dance in junior high, her prom and finally the moment she told me she would be marrying Thomas shortly after she announced she was moving to Hawaii to be with him. The minister asked for the witnesses to step forward and Nicole moved up to stand next to her sister. My heart swelled with happiness, pride and a little sadness that neither their father, or step-father, was there to witness this precious and fleeting moment. It was then that the Reverend asked who would do the first reading and Candie said, "My mother will read it." I was handed a paper and began to read the passage from the bible. The tears flowed from my eyes and when I was done, Candie and Thomas spoke their vows and Dora took her place and read her passage. Suddenly, Candie became Mrs. Thomas Oliver Wedding! As I stood there letting it sink in I realized that I had not lost a daughter, I'd gained a son.

The lack of bother and fuss over this wedding made me realize that it wasn't the "wedding" that was important to my daughter, it was the marriage she'd entered into with this wonderful young man. Instead of choosing to focus on a showy event, they had chosen to start off in a meaningful ceremony with their loved ones in attendance. What a beautiful moment that was! As long as I live I will treasure that day and be grateful that I was there to witness it.

God bless you and your marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Wedding~I love you always!