I’m waxing philosophical these days (I can’t say that without thinking of Daniel-son, “Wax on; wax off…“) about the past decade at the occasion of our wedding anniversary. We hired a babysitter for this past Friday night so we could go to dinner to celebrate. I desperately needed to straighten the house before the sitter arrived, so I thought the girls might enjoy watching the wedding video. My plan had been to let them play and watch the wedding while I ran around the house putting things in their correct places. Well, … we all got sucked in. I stood in front of the TV and watched the entire thing. The girls flipped and wallowed and climbed and somersaulted on the couch while keeping their eyes glued to the screen.

Campbell kept screaming at her daddy to look at her (she could only see the back of his head at the beginning). “Momma, Daddy won’t look at me.” And, of course, both girls wanted to know where they were.

And I kept pointing out my big, cheesy grin, exclaiming how excited I was to marry my prince. “Why isn’t Daddy smiling?” Carson wanted to know. Good question, I thought. They both pounced on him with that one when he got home. Carson was enthralled with the whole princess aspect of it. Her favorite part (and mine I must admit) was when the music was playing (dueling trumpets from the choir loft and balcony, the chiming of the hour, and the traditional wedding march – I can hear it now!) and everyone was standing – awaiting and honoring me. Isn’t that every bride’s favorite part? Honestly, that’s my favorite part even as a witness to the occasion. Carson loved that and declared that she would not have all those blasted songs if she did in fact change her mind and decide to get married (in her mind the best man is already taken and she is perfectly content to live with him for the rest of her life).

I did well up with tears several times. It was the sweetest day of my life, and it was so fun to be transported to that place again, sharing it with my two precious daughters and all of those people I love. The most striking observation this time around was how much has changed in a decade. I was able to look into the faces and hear the voices of many dear people who are no longer here: our wedding director, a fantastic college friend, a grandmother, the mothers of two of my bridesmaids – one who read a poem in the wedding. Marriages that have dissolved; criminal hairdos that have been rectified; weight gained; weight lost; health that has deteriorated. Friendships that have thinned due to time and distance, so what a joy it was to be there again! Not sad at all – a nice trip and a healthy reminder that time moves faster than I really care to grasp. By the grace of God I am given this moment, may I live it well…