Monique and Frank's Day

Do you know anyone who delivers singing telegrams? Lauren and I don't. Lauren wanted to send one to her sister, Monique, on the morning of her wedding. The only problem was our inability to think of someone we could hire to tackle the task. Finally, we called upon my sister, Kay, who immediately agreed to gather a group of singers to serenade Monique. (I never offered to pay her, but I'm sure she would have refused to accept it.) Kay distributed copies of our version of Adam Sandler's "Grow Old with Me," learned the song by listening to it on youtube, and held practice in her home.
February 5th finally arrived, and although it was during the Blizzard of 2011, the sun was in full display. Monique, more relaxed than I had seen her in weeks, sat at my kitchen table, looked out of the window, and began to laugh. Walking across the lawn was Kay's Choir, led by Kerri, who was strumming her son's toy guitar. Monique was presented with huge bouquets of balloons and flowers, purchased by Lauren earlier that morning, and listened as Kay, Mimi, Ann, Kerri, Brandi, Tiffani, Amanda, Jaden, and Dylan gave an unforgettable performance.
The business of beauty soon began. Hair was curled, pinned, and sprayed. Make-up was applied, re-applied, and just when I thought I was done, Lauren added more. Michael and Geoffrey did not begin to dress for the wedding until my daughters and I were walking out of the door. We piled into the car, began what Elise deemed, 'the last ride as single sisters,' and stopped at a gas station when Monique said, "I need a Coke Icee to settle my stomach."
Michael was remarkably composed as he escorted Monique to her groom. Victoria sobbed throughout the ceremony, but somehow had enough energy to remain on the dance floor during the reception. Me? My tears came when my Dad, Monique and Frank's choice to officiate their wedding, paused to allow the couple to share their thoughts before taking their wedding vows. Frank began.
"I never would have guessed that the girl who denied me of a kiss on our first date would end up being the girl I marry. However, every day since that night we have grown closer and closer to one another, and every new thing I learned about you has only made me love you more. I love your dedication to God and to your family. I love your passion and drive. I love the way you look with no make-up on. I love the way your beautiful blue eyes pierce my heart every single time you look into mine. But what I love the most about you is that you love who I truly am, and you allow me to be the man God has called me to be. I am your Warrior and King, and I will love, protect, and care for you until the day that I die."
Monique then pulled a sheet of paper from the pocket of her wedding dress and read, "On August 30, 2009, I went on a date with a boy. I was pretty sure the night was doomed to fail since the boy was a science teacher and I just assumed he’d be very nerdy. But, then there was you.
"I cannot imagine any moment in time more perfect than this moment. And trust me, I’ve imagined my wedding. As a little girl, I wondered what my dress would look like. I wondered if my parents would cry, I wondered if my flowers would be pretty and I wondered where it would be. But the thing I wondered the most about was who I was going to marry. And, then there was you.
"You have exceeded every expectation and surpassed every dream and I cannot believe God loves me enough to trust me with loving you. So today, on our first day of forever, I promise my loyalty and devotion to my favorite person in the world. It’ll be the one thing I’m always sure of, the one thing I’ll never doubt, and the one thing that I’ll always look forward to, because it will be you."
I realize the wedding was just one day, just a small fraction of our lifetime. I am even more aware that God had other things to take care of on the fifth of February: many other prayers to hear, many other people to attend to, and many other problems to solve. This knowledge makes His answers to my heart's cry for the day so much sweeter and so much more appreciated. His concern for all that concerns me is just one of the many reasons I sing His praises. Hmmm… I wonder if Kay can come up with another singing telegram.