We sat in a wedding months before ours and listened as a friend to the bride and groom read aloud letters. Letters written by the bride and groom. A letter from the bride to her parents. And a letter from the groom to his. And then, a letter from the bride to the groom’s parents. And vice versa. And it was there we both decided that we wanted that for our nuptials.
So we wrote the letters. I wrote words from my heart to my parents. As did Adam. He wrote words from his heart to his parents, as did I. And a dear friend read them aloud at our ceremony as we faced the guests, hands held together, and watched our parents hear our words.
It may have seemed odd to some. After all, the wedding day is all about the bride and groom, right? But we were both so close to our families, it was important to us that they knew that we believed that in our union, we were all becoming family. We would all be together for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, as long as we both shall live.
I wish I knew what had happened to the letters. I would love to see what my 23 year old self thought. Because I have a feeling that my love for my in-laws has become more genuine as I’ve matured. I just know what my heart feels now. That these people… Our parents… Have been everything that family is supposed to be. And they are rearranging their schedules on a weekly basis right now to help us. To care for us. To keep our children loved and happy. And to make sure we know they are here. And that is priceless.
One of the many blessings of this journey I am currently on is seeing that, recognizing it, and being reminded of it on a weekly basis.
We are rarely all together. But we are all family. And to know the true meaning of family, the feeling of unconditional love and support, and the way that family can grow into friends… These are some of life’s most precious gifts. It makes me thankful again for those letters. For the fact that we have two sets of parents who sat at our wedding, who supported our relationship then, and who endlessly support us now.
Together, we are family. For forever and a day.
