When my son Robert walked down the aisle yesterday looking so handsome in his tuxedo, the attendees at the wedding spontaneously clapped and cheered. When Erica walked in, escorted by her brother Jeff, she looked so gorgeous in her white gown that everyone teared up.
It was an outdoor wedding at the Oregon Garden. The weather was perfect, and the grounds were perfect. There were a few hiccups and a couple of quick decisions and adjustments that had to be made at the last minute, but it all worked out. Those moments could have created stress, but the perfect love that Rob and Erica share at this point in their lives overpowered anything that wasn’t exactly right.
Erica and Rob aren’t kids. They have both experienced some difficult times. Rob was in his early teens when his dad and I divorced. It was a brutal time for all of us. Erica lost her dad last fall after his nine-year battle with cancer. They have both faced challenges in their careers. They have been disappointed in people who should have never let them down, and they have both known the ache and longing of loneliness.
Those days are behind them. As a wedding gift Alex and I gave them a week in Hawaii. They are on their way today.
After the honeymoon new challenges will arise. Their life together won’t always be perfect, but if they can savor this moment and nurture their love so it continues to grow and deepen, I’m confident that they will have the combined strength to face whatever lies ahead, which may be about as close to perfection as any of us can ever hope to get in this lifetime!
