When two of my dearest friends recently married each other and became one, I wasn’t sure if I had one less friend or had a two for one super friend now. Thankfully, it has been the latter. Those two wonderful people certainly deserve the joy they now share with each other. They married in a private, quiet ceremony. Now they are planning a celebration party complete with renewing their vows in front of family and friends. The bride has asked me to give her away at that ceremony and I gladly agreed to do so.
I want to propose a toast to the newlyweds at the party. My first instinct is to wish them fifty years of life together, as my wife and I enjoyed. They both already qualify for senior discounts and after doing the math, I decided that wish might be too optimistic. i was trying to figure out how to downsize that wish for them when it seemed like my wife reached down from heaven, slapped me on the back of the head and said, “You lovable idiot! Wish them more, not less.”
When my wife went on ahead of me to heaven nine years ago, our love did not die with her. That is the “more” I need to wish my dear friends. Love in and beyond this life. Lines from songs come to my mind. For me, “When God calls us both above, honey, you’ll know that you’ve been loved because I’ll go to my grave loving you.” For them, “Loving God. Loving each other. Making music with our friends. Loving God. Loving each other and the story never ends.”
Here’s to Cathie and Jim and their unending love story.