This will be a short, but heartfelt blog. We got home from a trip to a granddaughter’s wedding last night exhausted, but happy. Here are some lessons I learned- in no particular order:
~When family and friends care, they work very hard to make a beautiful wedding despite financial constraints.
Love, hard work, resourcefulness, generosity, and kindness trump polish.
~Young love accompanied by a public declaration of commitment is a beautiful thing.
~I’m very proud of our daughter who made a delicious home-cooked meal with three entrees for 100 guests.
~I’m very grateful for all the friends and family who worked together to pull off a wedding and reception that left us all with happy memories.
~I realized that two twelve-year-olds can be entrusted with a big floral project (12 arrangements) with no help from adults.
~I’ll never forget the mental image of the mothers of the bride and groom standing side by side dishing up food for each guest in line.
~I’ll never forget the youthful groom lifting his bride up off her feet at the last note of the first dance and declaring in a proud voice, “My wife!” Not many dry eyes!
~I’ll never forget the groom’s buddies following their cultural tradition by tossing the groom up to the ceiling three times in jubilant celebration.
~I’ll never forget how our usually reserved, never- seeking-the-public-eye granddaughter danced the first dance beautifully with her groom smiling every minute. Our hearts joined in her joy.
~I admire the courage of two young people who bucked our current culture and opted for the commitment of marriage at a young age in spite of obstacles.
~I’ll never forget the bride’s brother practicing how to give away his sister because he wanted to do it right.
~I’ll never forget the bride’s brother’s strong response to the question, ‘Who gives this woman?’ “Her mother and I.”
~I cherish the tearful hugs from a visiting granddaughter we hadn’t seen in three years due to distance.
~I cherish the hospitality of two of our daughters and the hours of happy talk after the excitement died down.
~I was moved by the kindness and time invested by our daughters who take in stray humans and love on them.
~I was grateful for acceptance that surmounted cultural barriers.
~I was reminded how much I appreciate the camaraderie of working in the kitchen with others.
~I was impressed with the groom’s six-year-old sister who eagerly and skillfully helped in the kitchen.
~I learned that I needed to slow down after having a close encounter with a metal post that gave me a memento of the happy day- a goose egg above one eye.
~I liked a certain woman immediately and started chatting with her as we worked in the kitchen at the venue before the ceremony. Only later did I realize it was the groom’s mother! I hope it was a compliment that I mistook her for one of our grandaughter’s friends.
~I loved how the little children were included.

“Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.” Proverbs 3:3