Dateline: Monday, May 19, 2008

Monday Memory: A Wedding

Yesterday my third brother (the second one from the left, top row, in the picture) and his wife celebrated their 27th wedding anniversary. I remembered around midday that it was their anniversary, and of course I started thinking, then, about where we all are 27 years later. My grandmothers both died when I was in college. The baby in the picture, Esther, belongs to my second brother, John (the bearded guy) and his wife, Sharon (in pink). Esther is now a mama herself. And both of those brothers are now grandfathers, which means, of course, that my parents are now great-grandparents. My fourth brother, Stephen (the one closest to me in the picture) was married last summer in the most perfect wedding. My Uncle Max is the white-haired man in the photo, the bachelor uncle who took care of my grandmother until she died.

And then there's me. Don't I look rather grumpy in this photo? My brother Stephen does, too. Perhaps we were arguing. In this photo I was 15, nearing the end of my freshman year in high school. I was newly dating Bryan, my first boyfriend, as I would continue to do off-and-on for another two years or more. In just six years down the road, Bryan would die in a car accident, and I would begin growing up, swamped in reality and struggling hard to breathe.

Here, though, I'm probably thinking about how great my hair looked and how cute my brother's groomsman Greg was. I'm probably thinking about getting a tan and counting down the days until I could see Bryan again. If I could have known what was coming up in 6 years, then I would also know that, after that year of pain, my life became full of one blessing after another. I think I would have been smiling perpetually.

(Thanks for all of you who left a comment on my "who-are-you post" yesterday! I must say that nearly all of you were unknown readers to me. If you are reading this and didn't comment yesterday, please go here and just say, "I read your blog!" That would make me warm and happy.)

Comments

Monday, May 19, 2008 - well

Posted by onfire

I don't know you, but I think you looked smashing.
I bet in real life you look that great, too.

I never read your blog except today is a holiday, so I thought I might make an exception.

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Tuesday, May 20, 2008 - lol

Posted by Anonymous

You do look a little like Mrs. Grumpy Pants. LOL
I love this fashion back then, don't you?

Kysha
http://humblemama.blogspot.com

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Wednesday, May 21, 2008 - Untitled Comment

Posted by jess4him

What a neat photo! I love learning about people's lives & history... how hard it must have been for your friend to die after dating him for a while. WOW. Isn't God good to continue to guide and direct us in spite of ourselves? For me, I just thank the Lord for 'unanswered prayers'.

Talk to you later!

jessica

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