The events leading up to my son’s wedding tomorrow have been quite special. We’ve had a wonderful time getting to know the bride’s mother and brother. They live in Ohio, and we convinced them to come a few days early so they could enjoy seeing a bit of Oregon before the wedding.
At dinner on Wednesday night my heart had soared when Rob said, “Erica and I can communicate with each other without ever saying a word.” He’s 37. She’s 39. Neither one has ever been married before. I had nearly given up on him ever finding the right woman.
This morning at breakfast we talked about what a blessing it is that our kids found each other. We also talked about how happy we were that Erica had been able to tell her dad that she and Rob were engaged before he died. Her mother cared for him through his 9 year battle with cancer. She said when he died last fall it was a sad blessing.
It made me realize how many blessings we receive every day. Many are big, happy blessings – like marriages, births and graduations. Some are more commonplace, like finding a solution to a problem or receiving a timely visit from a friend. And then there are sad blessings like the death of someone we love.
Life is a cycle. Not all days are happy, and thank goodness, not all are filled with sorrow. As Erica and Rob start their life together as man and wife, I hope they will realize what a blessing it is to have a partner who will be there through thick and thin, who will celebrate and console, and who will love and cherish them through whatever triumphs, challenges and sorrows they experience for as long as they live.
