How does one even express enough gratitude for a weekend like the one I just had? I had the honor of wearing smiles and joyful tears while watching someone I love take vows with his soulmate…and also the miraculous blessing of being on the sending and receiving end of multiple texts and phone calls from another someone I love, as he welcomed his newborn son into the world. The combination of the two events has me exhausted, but in the best kind of way.
First of all, making all the preparations for a road trip with five kids is not, I repeat, IS NOT an easy task! I feel the need right now to give an enormous shout out to my Mama who suffered the same fate, uh, I mean experienced the same joy more times than I can even remember…thanks, Mama.
Second of all, feeding a family of seven while on a two day road-trip is not, I repeat, IS NOT a cheap task! I feel the need right now to give a huge shout out to my Dad who must have had to dig DEEP into those pockets to feed our family of nine for even a two hour road-trip…thanks, Daddy.
Lastly, and most importantly though, I can barely describe the emotions of witnessing the little boy that, I swear, was just smiling for his first day of kindergarten pictures at the bus stop around the corner from our crowded, little house – standing now in front of me a man…with a new wife and family no less. It was no easy task to get everyone ready (in a hotel room with only one bathroom) for the late-morning wedding vows. Add to that the wedding official who showed up an hour early, leaving me with only one shaved leg and a make-up job done in a moving suburban full of my children! We made it though. I had to think of pretty flowers to keep myself from crying, the moment I saw him waiting out front for our rushed arrival. The vow exchange was pretty quick, made between a young man, in love, and his beautiful-but-nervous bride. The reception that took place later that evening was so much fun…made only more memorable by the silly “sexy” dance performed by the groom on his way to take the garter off the leg of his new bride, and the horror of that same groom when his niece (Devaney) caught the bride’s bouquet, lol.
In between all of this activity – before, during, and after – I was getting constant updates from Fayzonn, who was in Mississippi – nervously awaiting the birth of his son, Trezonn. Finally, at about four in the morning…after all the day’s other chaos…I was on the phone with Fay, congratulating his new fatherhood and getting the details of my new nephew’s birth. There are no words to describe this emotion either. The little boy whose fourth birthday I planned so carefully…is now a father himself. His last text to me today was: “Man, i love my baby, dats my heart. I swear he iz.” My response to that: “I know…and you’re gonna love him more everyday.”
Back to my original question – How does one even express enough gratitude for a weekend like the one I just had? The honor of welcoming four new members to our family (Antone’s new wife has two precious children) AND confirmation that I made a difference in the lives of Tony’s siblings…Thank You (once again), Lord!
