Guest Post: Thoughts on a wedding

My big weekend trip to Washington D.C. is over now. I was happy to be able to go to my nephew Michael’s wedding. It got me thinking about all things related to weddings. I love any wedding, even more so when it is the wedding of someone that I know. I can still see Michael in his little blue sleeper (my sister put Mike in blue and his identical twin brother, John, in green so she wouldn’t get them mixed up!). As I watched him up at the altar, I was taken back to so many good times watching him grow up and found it hard to believe he is a grown man now starting his own adult life.

It seems like a cliche, but time really does fly by. As I listened to the wedding vows, it took me back to when I said my own wedding vows some 34 years ago. Oh, my husband, Brian, and I just didn’t realize that we wouldn’t even make it to our 25th anniversary before he would be dead. I was thinking how people really do not understand the magnitude of the wedding vows. In sickness and health, until death do us part, is reality. Of course, you can’t dwell on that on your wedding day, but remembering your vows from time to time can make you appreciate your spouse during the good times and can help you be the most supportive you can be during those difficult times. I know it wasn’t until Brian was so ill that I truly understood the meaning of “In sickness and in health,” and unfortunately, I learned the meaning of “until death do us part” at way too young of an age!

So, appreciate every day, and if you are married, remember the promises you made to each other on your wedding day!

–By Sharon Blake (Melissa’s mom)