So I did what I always do. Nothing. I avoided thinking about it, and I secretly worried (about the speech, and my growing Buddha-belly--egads!).
But the day of the wedding came, as they inevitably do, and I sat through the service alternately crying and laughing and clenching my butt chakra. Afterwards, with a glass of champagne, a full heart, and a mouthful of cheesecake, I asked him, "Do you still want me to say something?"
"Yes. I do. You are going to say something, aren't you?" He sounded trepidatious, like I might let him down.
"Of course!!" I say, full of conviction and terror. But now what? What now? What was I to say?
There was nothing for it but to write. So I slipped off my shoes, found a quiet spot, and on the back of the wedding program I wrote my speech. Here it is:
What is a mother to say on her son's wedding day? I've thought and struggled to find the words, and as many times as I've put pen to paper, I've tossed it aside--unsatisfied and unsure. So I've decided to do two things: share the wisdom of another and speak from my heart.
When Jonah told us he was marrying Richelle we were overwhelmed. We were surprised: what should we think? what should we do? what should we say? We didn't know.
Then we met Richelle--and as a family, fell madly in love. But it was our 7-year old, Bronwyn, that said it best when she said to me, "Mom, you know what I think? I think Jonah is too young to get married, but he sure picked a beautiful, pretty girl to marry." And Bronwyn was right--Jonah picked the most beautiful, pretty girl to marry--inside and out.
Then we met Richelle--and as a family, fell madly in love. But it was our 7-year old, Bronwyn, that said it best when she said to me, "Mom, you know what I think? I think Jonah is too young to get married, but he sure picked a beautiful, pretty girl to marry." And Bronwyn was right--Jonah picked the most beautiful, pretty girl to marry--inside and out.
But it's a strange thing seeing your child in love. A strange thing knowing the scraped knees I bandaged when he fell off his bike, the sweet green eyes I dried when he was hurt or overlooked, and the small, cute bum I wiped when he......well.....when he.........are another woman's to care for.
So I stand here feeling strange, proud, emotional, and a little lost--but happy. Happy to know that there is such a woman. Such a Richelle. That she loves my boy, and will love him as long, and longer, than I will.
I love you Jonah--with my heart and soul. And Richelle--you are part of us now. Our big, mad, crazy crowd, and we love you too.
So, to Jonah and Richelle.
In the end, I think I did okay. And it probably helped that most of the audience was Dutch and didn't understand half of it. What I learned was that it doesn't really matter what you say, just that you say it, whether you look like a sausage in your too-tight dress or not.
In the end, I think I did okay. And it probably helped that most of the audience was Dutch and didn't understand half of it. What I learned was that it doesn't really matter what you say, just that you say it, whether you look like a sausage in your too-tight dress or not.
Wow- made me cry. Richelle is lucky to be marrying into a family such as yours.
ReplyDeleteI love this! I have a few years before I have to think about wedding speeches, but I think that I might steal yours!
ReplyDeleteI love you blog! And I seem to have found it too late because you haven't posted anything in a good while. It's your sense of humor that appeals to me most--that ability to find the humor in life's little difficulties. It's something that I do just to survive life's little d's. Maybe you haven't stopped blogging--I hope you haven't--but if you have, then thanks for these pages and I hope that life is going smoothly for you and that you are still having a laugh from time to time.
ReplyDeleteOh my. Gwnfydd. I am so moved by your thoughts. I did stop blogging. Not because I stopped having something to say, but because life got crazy and....and really, more importantly, I forgot my password. But I'm back. All my unfettered, uncensored self. I hope you come by again.
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