A Daughter's Wedding

Today the one week countdown begins.  In seven days our oldest daughter will marry her sweetheart and begin a new life chapter.  Let's see, how goes the checklist?  The wedding dress is gorgeous and fits, check.  The venue is booked, check.  The band plays a good tune, check.  The food, cake and liquor are ordered, check.  Kim's (wife) dress looks stunning, check.  The tux fits and the cowboy boots arrived today, check.  Hair, make-up and nails are all scheduled, check.  Family and close friends are flying into town, check.  The transportation plan took a while but is now set in stone, check.  I talked to the photographer yesterday and she is terrific, check.  The wedding coordinator has a detailed game plan, check.  The seating arrangements are in flux but it will all be worked out.  I have faith that we can solve easy problems ... check?  

My credit card and checkbook have gone through their paces the past few weeks ... ok, months.  Yet, each time a bill must be paid or a surprise cost not in the budget arises, I gladly pay it.  I'm usually not very good at milestone events, you know those once in a lifetime moments that you and everyone close to you will remember ... forever.  I have decided to be good for this one.  I made the call months ago to rally for this day and make it meaningful for my wife, our daughter, her fiancé ... and all those attending, including me.  It's actually not that hard to gear up for a significant milestone.  You just have to want it and adopt the right attitude.  For example, lately I have become very good at saying "Yes".  No matter how small or large the request.  Just say yes and wear a smile.  That sounds fake but it's not.  It turns out I love saying yes.  It's so much easier than No or Maybe or the deadly Silence.  That's the worst ... silence.  I can be very good at that trick but left it in the bag for this occasion. 

I wrote my toast a few weeks ago.  It's good, I think.  There's a bit of humor mixed with emotion.  It begins with a tune played by an old friend, who also played a song at our wedding more than 32 years ago.  Then I take it from there and work without a net.  It's not short but not too long.  It might be smart to write it on paper and tuck it safely away in my jacket pocket.  But I'm not going with safe.  It will be more fun to take some risk and operate without that net.  After all, it is a milestone moment and I am here to entertain.  Seven days.  Tick Tock.  Tick Tock.  I can feel it coming around the corner.  It's almost here.  

What?  Yes dear, I'll get more champagne.  Gotta go folks ... there's so much to do and so many requests that require a yes.  It's good to be needed :-).