When I was a little girl, I used to daydream of marrying prince charming and setting up house to live happily ever after. Many days, my best friend, Stephanie, and I would dress ourselves up and "walk down the aisle" of my bedroom, pretending to get married. We would set our "husbands" (the over-sized teddy bears named Mr. Fuzzy and Big Berkley) at one end of the room, have a wedding, and then practice throwing the bouquet to each other. We talked about how we would be each other's maid of honor, and we planned our wedding colors and designed our dresses.
Back then, I had no idea what it really meant to fall in love and become a partner in a marriage. I just knew it was something I wanted. Over the last several years, however, I have seen this dream come true...better than I ever imagined when I was five. Getting married nine and a half months ago has been the biggest blessing of my life (and Graham is a much superior husband to the stuffed bear of my childhood). And standing beside me, supporting me all the way, was Stephanie.
Then, last week, the rest of the childhood dream came true. I was able to be a part of Stephanie's wedding to her own prince charming. Although it was a whirlwind weekend trip to San Diego, I would not have traded the experience for the world. Stephanie looked beyond beautiful, and as I watched her interact with her husband-to-be over the course of the weekend, I felt strongly that this was a man I could entrust her to. He brings out the best in her, supports and encourages her, and loves her with a clear devotion and loyalty. I look forward to watching them grow together in the coming years, and I feel so blessed to have been a part of celebrating with them.
So here's to childhood dreams coming true, albeit in different (and better) ways than I would have imagined.
Steph & Nick
Graham & I remembering our own special day.
