(This was posted out of order)
The day of the wedding came, July 3. I was up by about eight or so in order to be dressed and out of the room while my lovely bride and my daughter got themselves fixed up for the wedding. Child B's sister-in-law arrived around 9 AM to supply the hair-do magic. Since there was nothing else for me to do, I went to the casino on the first floor of the Riviera. My gambling story is short. In less than half an hour I had lost over twenty dollars. Time to take a stroll. I left the casino and went upstairs to make sure that Child A, possibly suffering from a medical condition known as hangovori superiori, had indeed awakened and was getting dressed for the wedding. Once I checked on Child A, I then received the all clear, I could not only come and get dressed (the ladies were ready) but I had less than fifteen minutes to do so before the limousine arrived.
I raced back to the room and got dressed. When I walked out of the changing room, I saw the most gorgeous girl I have seen in some time...Child B in a wedding gown (made, incidentally, by Child B's mother). Up until now, the "wedding" had just been a sort of nebulous concept, sort of like quantum physics. But there she was, a lady in a wedding gown, and I knew this was it...Child B was about to start a new life, her life with a great guy. But Daddy was definitely beginning to feel like he is just a part of the back drop. I wanted her to find a really good man and marry him, and she had, but still....well, never mind.
We all got into the Limo and headed for the Viva Las Vegas Wedding Chapel. The drive was way too short, trust me. Inside, we (the wedding party) received final instructions about the wedding plan, then it was time to go. I gave Child B a penny for good luck, and a really long hug. Okay, I know I will see her again in Midland Sunday afternoon, but it still felt so...so...final. Tear...STOP...go back up. It did...for the time being. My daughter walked into the back of the chapel, extended her arm, and I took it. I walked her down the aisle, and remember thinking how beautiful she looked, and how furshlugginerly short that aisle was. Then we were standing there, Child B facing Groom To Be, and I heard the minister ask, "Who gives the bride away?" My first reaction was to yell, "NO ONE!! This is a SERIOUS MISTAKE....SHE'S JUST A BABY!!!" But I did not do that. I said, "I do." I then kissed Child B on the cheek, and turned away. My daughter was about to become Mrs. Matthews! All I could do now was sit down and let that minister say those words. And listen to Child B and Groom make the vows to each other. It was over so soon...and I fought the tears. Luckily my own lovely bride was crying, so I had something to do to keep myself from crying. I gave her a kiss and squeezed her hand.
After the wedding, there were all the congratulations and all the blessings given, then the limousine took us back to the Riviera. The Bride and Groom rode with us, hugged us on the sidewalk, and they were gone. We were gone, too. It was time to head back to Texas. I let my lovely bride and Child A hash out who would drive. I climbed into the back seat of our truck and pretty much faded from the scene until we stopped in Kingman, Arizona. By this time my sadness had turned to happiness for two young people starting out in the world as husband and wife. So many things would change, yet so much would stay the same. Mr. and Mrs. Matthews will reside only a few miles away from us. We can go see them any time. Yet they have their own world to make world, and we parents have to let them. May God bless them along the way.
I have to say that it was the company of my lovely bride and Child A that really helped me keep it together, that really made the trip home, as well as the trip to Las Vegas. Time with both of them...that was such a blessing.
By the time we reached Flagstaff, it was beginning to rain. We were able to get the tarp deployed over the luggage and secured before the semi-flood hit, then we were back on the road. We drove all the way to Winslow, Arizona, where I did the inevitable...yes, I stopped and stood on the corner in Winslow, Arizona....but, alas, the fabled girl (my Lord!!) in the flat bed Ford did not slow down to take a look at me. She did not even DRIVE BY THE CORNER. In fact, she may not even have been in Winslow at all! Child A took the treasured photograph for me anyway, and we got back on the road, after a meal at the Flying J.
We had (for once!) an uneventful drive from Winslow to Gallup, New Mexico, where we stopped for the night. We were all exhausted...I was not able to blog at all, and that is why this blog got posted out of order (I had to blame it on something!). We all got ready for bed, and the next thing I know, the alarm was going off. What a short night! Time to hit the road again.
The day of the wedding came, July 3. I was up by about eight or so in order to be dressed and out of the room while my lovely bride and my daughter got themselves fixed up for the wedding. Child B's sister-in-law arrived around 9 AM to supply the hair-do magic. Since there was nothing else for me to do, I went to the casino on the first floor of the Riviera. My gambling story is short. In less than half an hour I had lost over twenty dollars. Time to take a stroll. I left the casino and went upstairs to make sure that Child A, possibly suffering from a medical condition known as hangovori superiori, had indeed awakened and was getting dressed for the wedding. Once I checked on Child A, I then received the all clear, I could not only come and get dressed (the ladies were ready) but I had less than fifteen minutes to do so before the limousine arrived.
I raced back to the room and got dressed. When I walked out of the changing room, I saw the most gorgeous girl I have seen in some time...Child B in a wedding gown (made, incidentally, by Child B's mother). Up until now, the "wedding" had just been a sort of nebulous concept, sort of like quantum physics. But there she was, a lady in a wedding gown, and I knew this was it...Child B was about to start a new life, her life with a great guy. But Daddy was definitely beginning to feel like he is just a part of the back drop. I wanted her to find a really good man and marry him, and she had, but still....well, never mind.
We all got into the Limo and headed for the Viva Las Vegas Wedding Chapel. The drive was way too short, trust me. Inside, we (the wedding party) received final instructions about the wedding plan, then it was time to go. I gave Child B a penny for good luck, and a really long hug. Okay, I know I will see her again in Midland Sunday afternoon, but it still felt so...so...final. Tear...STOP...go back up. It did...for the time being. My daughter walked into the back of the chapel, extended her arm, and I took it. I walked her down the aisle, and remember thinking how beautiful she looked, and how furshlugginerly short that aisle was. Then we were standing there, Child B facing Groom To Be, and I heard the minister ask, "Who gives the bride away?" My first reaction was to yell, "NO ONE!! This is a SERIOUS MISTAKE....SHE'S JUST A BABY!!!" But I did not do that. I said, "I do." I then kissed Child B on the cheek, and turned away. My daughter was about to become Mrs. Matthews! All I could do now was sit down and let that minister say those words. And listen to Child B and Groom make the vows to each other. It was over so soon...and I fought the tears. Luckily my own lovely bride was crying, so I had something to do to keep myself from crying. I gave her a kiss and squeezed her hand.
After the wedding, there were all the congratulations and all the blessings given, then the limousine took us back to the Riviera. The Bride and Groom rode with us, hugged us on the sidewalk, and they were gone. We were gone, too. It was time to head back to Texas. I let my lovely bride and Child A hash out who would drive. I climbed into the back seat of our truck and pretty much faded from the scene until we stopped in Kingman, Arizona. By this time my sadness had turned to happiness for two young people starting out in the world as husband and wife. So many things would change, yet so much would stay the same. Mr. and Mrs. Matthews will reside only a few miles away from us. We can go see them any time. Yet they have their own world to make world, and we parents have to let them. May God bless them along the way.
I have to say that it was the company of my lovely bride and Child A that really helped me keep it together, that really made the trip home, as well as the trip to Las Vegas. Time with both of them...that was such a blessing.
By the time we reached Flagstaff, it was beginning to rain. We were able to get the tarp deployed over the luggage and secured before the semi-flood hit, then we were back on the road. We drove all the way to Winslow, Arizona, where I did the inevitable...yes, I stopped and stood on the corner in Winslow, Arizona....but, alas, the fabled girl (my Lord!!) in the flat bed Ford did not slow down to take a look at me. She did not even DRIVE BY THE CORNER. In fact, she may not even have been in Winslow at all! Child A took the treasured photograph for me anyway, and we got back on the road, after a meal at the Flying J.
We had (for once!) an uneventful drive from Winslow to Gallup, New Mexico, where we stopped for the night. We were all exhausted...I was not able to blog at all, and that is why this blog got posted out of order (I had to blame it on something!). We all got ready for bed, and the next thing I know, the alarm was going off. What a short night! Time to hit the road again.
No comments:
Post a Comment