Happy Anniversary, Sweetheart

I wrote this "Story" a while back, but like most of what I write, I was not accepted for publication .  Re-reading it, I suppose I can see why but I am not adding to it just now.


I knew the day I met him that I wanted to marry Chris.  He told me he had never been married and was not going to get married, so when he proposed, I was stunned and thrilled.  We began to plan a small March wedding, but in October, my father’s illness became worse and he let me know that he probably would not be around to walk me down the aisle in March.  After I dried my tears, I sprung into action.  “We are getting married NOW” I told my stunned fiancé, grabbing my date book.  I called my friend who had promised to officiate who agreed to the new date. I called the park where I already had a deposit to rent a “shelter” area and they agreed to change the date. NOW we were both in business and in trouble.  We did not have the money to have the wedding we had planned.  We agreed the only thing that mattered was having both our parents there and marrying each other.  The rest was “gravy” .  We began calling people to tell them about the change in plans.  Our friends, knowing our situation, offered to help us in any way possible.  Several friends offered to buy the food, another bought the cake, another provided the flowers and a few more did all the decorations.  I let go of any control, trusting my dear friends. Their gifts would make the wedding we had planned possible.

The day arrived; a beautiful clear November day that only the California desert can enjoy.  It was just warm enough for the outdoor wedding we had planed .  I was relaxed and relieved.  Just before I was going to leave my father’s house for the wedding, my cell phone rang.  It was Chris, as upset as I had ever heard him.  Chris is a musician and he had spent three days getting together all the music for the wedding.  I had been assured by the park staff that the outlets in the “shelter” worked.   “There’s no electricity” he said flatly. “We won’t have any music”  We talked for a few minutes trying to come up with alternatives.  Although a lot of our friends are musicians,  but we had told them to leave their instruments at home- a three hour drive for most of them. We wanted them to be guests and not performers. “We just won’t have any music”  I said.  We reminded each other that the only important thing was that we were going to be married.

When I got to the park, my daughter who was my maid-of-honor  came up to me, eyes wide. “There’s NO music”  she said  “what do I do?”  “Just walk, and walk SLOWLY because I have Opa (our name for my father)with me”    We were ready and we started down the sidewalk that would serve as the aisle.  I felt the tears at the back of my eyes  ‘Don’t CRY’ I reminded myself  ‘Your makeup will run and you’ll look like a raccoon.’   I looked down the aisle at Chris.  “YES” my heart said “YES” 

I took a step and then I heard them.  Our crazy, loving friends were giving us one more gift.  They were SINGING the wedding march; including two of my crazier friends who were actually doing the trumpet flairs. Perfect, I thought. My father and I started laughing.  We laughed all the way down the aisle.



I Love you, Christopher Myers.  Happy 3rd anniversary.