Sunflowers in October

For the last six years, his mother and I have shared football team-feeding-duties, hot and cold bleacher seats, seen plenty of exciting wins and hard losses, shared worries about our children who now use heavy equipment for a living, and we have shared sons. I’m more than sure that she has had my son around her kitchen table as much as I have had hers around mine.  He has always felt like one of my own, he always will.

I went in and took a seat in the pews, my husband and extended “family” trailing behind me. The piano keys were streaming with live music, there was quiet chitter-chatter from most any direction, and craning necks from all, looking to see who else was coming-in and where they would be sitting.

As I sat there looking at all the sunflowers draped-onto/attached-to-burlap presented as an art form, I silently contemplated as to whether or not to break-out the camera I

had stuffed down into my purse. It didn’t take me long to decide that there was no way I was going to miss out on snapping those “pretty as a picture” decorations, and I began my camera-eye’s journey around the room.

It wouldn’t be but a few more minutes and the ceremonial music would begin. The groom and his groomsmen would began their walk down the aisle, take their places, and stand stiff as soldiers at attention. Their faces taunt and without much expression, I was remembering two of these young men as they were, in what seemed like just seconds ago: with laughing, carefree faces, playing football, having ping pong contests, and Xbox matches for hours at the time; and then that one afternoon both of them spent hours in The Man Cave, stapling the latest swimsuit edition of Sports Illustrated to the ceiling.

Now all I see is two handsome, grown young men, one watching his best friend and business partner with solemn eyes and a stoic expression, and the other, waiting on the love of his life who was about to begin her own journey down the aisle, to stand next to him, for the rest of their lives.

She was a picture of absolute beauty as she began her journey down, her hands slightly shaking, and I watched as her husband-to-be began to swallow rapidly and his face began to flush. Some might say the ceremony was old-fashioned – I will say it was real, original, and using all the words that are tried and true. It was one woman and one man, pledging to belong to, and care for, each other, forever and ever amen.

These days will come closer and closer together I am sure, all these children who have turned into adults when I wasn’t looking, will be finding their life partners and saying I do to forever. But this day was special for me, because this is the first couple-marriage of my second born child’s generation.  Congratulations to Matt and Taylor Carter – May your new life together be everything you ever dreamed of and more love than you ever imagined.