A Toast

John:

Well, it finally happened!  The wedding of the century (at least OUR century so far) arrived and now our nuclear family of 5 has become 6!

The look on our son’s face was priceless as his beautiful beaming bride turned the corner, walking down the aisle toward him and their future together.  A hint of the boy he once was shone through the giant smile of the incredible man he’d become,  We knew this would be an emotional day, one filled with joy as our son pledged a lifetime of love and commitment to his beloved and she to him.  We weren’t prepared for how deep those emotions would run. 

Julie:

Words simply cannot describe the depth of love we felt towards our son and new daughter – and each other – on that remarkable day.  Tears flowed freely (and I’m NOT a crier) and my heart melted as our son held me in his arms as we swayed to our song, “You’ll Be in My Heart,” the one I sang to him as I stroked his head when he was small.  As I sang the song to him on his wedding day and he whispered that I was the first woman he ever loved, I wanted to preserve that moment forever.  When our new daughter pulled us aside and gave us a letter she had written thanking us for the gift of our son and loving her like she is our own, there was so much we wanted to say, but couldn’t find the words.  After reflection on that magical day, some words came…

John:

We wanted to tell them to hold on to the joy of that day for the rest of their lives.  Relive it when life gets hard – and it WILL get hard –  like when the baby won’t stop crying or your teenager is defiant.  Robe yourself in it when money is tight.  Cherish it as your parents age and you are faced with difficult decisions.  Look at your pictures from your wedding day and relive it often.

Remember the commitment you made to each other.  The wedding was a day.  Your marriage is a lifetime.  Remember to pull out that commitment and use it as your armor against enemies like disillusionment, misplaced priorities, self-centeredness, and temptation. 

Julie:

Remember that your marriage is like a garden.  Water and nourish it and it will grow.  Ignore it and weeds will take over.  Make your marriage your greatest priority and all else will fall into place.

Remember to be forgiving.  You both married an imperfect human.  Remember the love you felt that day and choose to forgive often so that you can find that love again. 

John:

Remember to always choose love.  This means putting the other person first, even when it is difficult.  You may not like each other in every moment, but always, always, always choose to love each other.

Remember that you are a team.  You are stronger as a couple than you will ever be as individuals.  Keep rowing in the same direction and you will get where you’re going in a lot better shape.

Julie:

Remember how beautiful and handsome you looked that day every time you look in each other’s eyes.  Skin may sag, pounds may multiply, time may rob you of your mobility, but when you look in each other’s eyes, you will see the beauty you saw that day and you will never grow old.

These ring true whether you’ve been married for a day or for a lifetime.  And so, a toast – here’s to all you brides and grooms!