For Kyle and Cassie

I have been thinking of this image for some time; the truth is I find it so simple yet poignant that it’s never far from my mind. I didn’t know why it had been so prominent recently. The last death in the family was my grandmother over a year ago. My parents and friends have been in good health, although a few family friends have had some major health scares recently but things seem to be under control, or at least past “worse case scenario” territory.

Then I realized it had popped back into my mind about the time I was invited to a wedding.

The bride, Cassie, is a wonderful woman with so much love and compassion in her heart that I’m amazed the city of Tiffin has any stray animals left. She’s chosen a profession working with some of our most vulnerable members of society. She’s a musician, she’s busted her ass working in factories, and can talk video games with me like few of my friends. And I still don’t know her like I should due to distance, but she loves Kyle and that’s all that matters.

The groom, Kyle, is my best friend. I’ve tried not to be very explicit about this, but there are chunks of my memories that aren’t very good, I think largely due to some heavy drinking in my younger years. I do know that for all the good memories I have, Kyle is there. He’s there in the bad ones too, but as a source of strength and support. We’ve known each other for longer but have been close for a quarter of a century now, and I can only hope I’ve been half the friend to him that he’s been to me. Even as we’ve been separated by distance as time passed, he’s been there for me. And even in times when I’ve been down or feeling a little isolated from most of my friends and family being quite a ways away, just knowing he’s a text away has been calming.

I am so incredibly happy that Kyle and Cassie have found the perfect person to spend the rest of their lifetime with and so happy and honored to have been asked to be here to see them say their vows. 

You have a lifetime. No more. No less. Make the most of it like only you two can together.