My Lousy World

Three weddings and a fish fry

Posted 9/12/19

I dare say, the great nieces and nephews are dropping like flies. With all these non-stop weddings, I don’t think I’ve ever showered this often in one summer. It’s almost becoming a …

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My Lousy World

Three weddings and a fish fry

Posted

I dare say, the great nieces and nephews are dropping like flies. With all these non-stop weddings, I don’t think I’ve ever showered this often in one summer. It’s almost becoming a habit now to brush all my teeth instead of just the fronts.

Actually great-nephew Trey, married Cierra two summers ago at 21, but this summer, two great-nieces hitched their wagons to young stars. Trey’s 22-year-old sister Taylor and Burlington schoolteacher Kenton Boogerd led off the parade days after the Fourth of July. That Saturday date conflicted with buddy Donnie Beemer’s big fish fry I was looking forward to, but luckily Don’s house is only blocks from Christ the King Lutheran where the nuptials happened. I mean to tell ya, I put some miles on my best shoes that day. Fish, wedding … more fish, reception, etc.

Then less than a month later, in mid-August, sweet great-niece Katie Brown, 21, hooked up permanently with a fine, young Powell boy with really white teeth, Braden Schiller. In doing the math, we find all three’s combined wedding ages add up exactly to my 65th birthday next week. One might say they got married a little too young, while I waited a little too late.

Katie and Braden’s Grace Point church wedding was a sweet affair, all except for the part where I exited the sanctuary and Trey’s mom Cindy blurted out, “Look how wet his armpit is!” She was a dear to point out my right armpit was sweating profusely while my left was relatively dry. It’s an interesting, albeit poorly timed observation, and if there’s a doctor specializing in perspiration (a “sweatologist” maybe?) in the house, please contact me to explain this persistent oddity.

But enough about my pits. It was a nice ceremony presided over by the delightful Rev. David Pool, and coincidentally I was seated next to his wife and family. I hope they’re not still talking about that one-soaked-pit freak dripping next to them. I am not an animal, dang it!

It is times like that day that make me regret putting off investing in hearing aids. When Katie and Braden (with that breathtaking smile) faced each other, hands enjoined while reciting personalized vows, I knew their words were most likely really touching.

And when Braden’s father Scott got up and gave a whimsical history of the beaming couple at The Commons reception, I could tell by the smiles of the wedding party and laughter from the seated crowd, it was a humorous, yet touching tribute.

I never heard a word.

Before the reception ended, my likewise married great-nieces/nephews and respective spouses and other family gathered at the Red Zone for another bite to eat. After a couple games of pool (not to be confused with the pastor), Taylor showed me something on her phone that I found even more touching than those tributes I couldn’t hear.

The video I was witnessing was my 75-year-old brother Jess and his wife Marti dancing in the middle of the reception floor. That is significant not only because Jess is no dancing, social butterfly by nature, but that Marti, who mysteriously lost her sight over 10 years ago, was drinking in the moment. Rejecting any “woe is me,” she celebrated her beautiful granddaughter’s big day with style and a smile.

Now I’m no psychic, but I sensed she was thinking, “For God’s sake, Jess, is it that hard to follow my lead?”

My Lousy World

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