wedding potpourri

This is the last time I will post before the big day. My daughter’s wedding day countdown has felt a lot like being pregnant. Are we ready to have this baby by now, or what!!

The retelling of her own wedding day by Jan (on her tenth anniversary - post called "10") on The Happy Homemaker, sure struck a chord with me. She says:

"I will always remember what one close friend from my past said about the ceremony. He said he felt true agape love in that church that day and was impressed by my friends and family."

That "agape love" thing resonates with me as exactly what I’ve been praying for our special day.

Here’s another wedding story, "Ruby Robin’s Wedding," which takes place in May. Sonia always said it was her favorite. Thankfully she’s not Ruby Robin.

Finally, it has been my wish from the start, that my hubby and I could give our daughter a leaving-home gift that would not be money or stuff. We have, in the last week, both thought of and worked up a little something to deliver at the reception. My hubby has a fine voice, and he is going to sing "You Raise Me Up" (and I will accompany him on the piano - yikes!)

I have written a poem which I will read. And I have the blog world to thank for the inspiration. It’s based on the meme "Where I Am From" (hat tip: A Sort of Notebook) – only, I wrote for my daughter and called it "Where Sonia is From." Here it is (the biggest challenge for me, I think, will be to get through reading it without choking up):

Where Sonia Is From

Sonia is from the sandbox,
from Cabbage Patch dolls and sidewalk chalk.
She’s from the cul-de-sec where she rode her pink bike
around and around in spring break rain.
She’s from camping and reading along with taped storybooks,
under the slanting canvas of the tent trailer.

Sonia is from strong coffee and getting up early
from Ben and Mary, Walter and Albertine
Ernie and Violet
From ‘Let’s pray about it’
and ‘You can’t get through life without piano lessons.’
She’s from puffed-wheat cake, perogies and koubassa
from hating Awana games, loving Amy Grant
and needing lots of time to put on her makeup.

Sonia is from the Alliance and Gatehouse
from Henry Bose, Surrey Traditional and Regent Academy
Avalanche, Jesus School and The Feast
She’s from school uniforms and wanting contact lenses.
She’s from science fair projects of green moldy bread,
from learning to swim at Unwin Park
and learning to paint from Mrs. Moore.

She’s from the dress-up box
with its grass skirt and shell beads
its nurse apron with pockets
for the Fisher Price thermometer, stethoscope and mallet
its skipping rope with the fat handles
that make a good microphone
its lacy shawl and creamy white crinoline.
What will she be
a dancer
a nurse
a singer
a bride?

-V.Nesdoly 2005