My aunt & uncle are two of the most wonderful people I know. They’ve raised two remarkable kids, one age 21, the other age 16. Those kids threw them a party today, for their 25th wedding anniversary. Now, the party was not a surprise, but my uncle (who has been my hero for a looooong time) did one of the coolest things imaginable for my aunt.
When my aunt and uncle were first married, it was in Texas. It was an extremely small ceremony, and only their parents attended. My uncle was in the Air Force, stationed in Austin. From the pictures I’ve seen, it was a very pretty ceremony, and everyone that was there had a nice time.
At the party today, there were probably about 75 people there, family and friends. My uncle starts slowly and quietly ushering everyone outside. Everyone except my aunt. Her kids were inside, keeping her occupied for a few minutes. My uncle gets everyone’s attention, and says he has a surprise for my aunt. There was a minister standing next to him. He calls up his best friend, two of his brothers, and another very good friend, and tells them that they are to be his groomsmen. Then he calls up my mom, another one of my aunts, his sister-in-law, and his daughter, and tells them that they will be my aunt’s bridesmaids. He points to a tape player, and asks a friend standing next to it to turn it on. The music starts (Kenny Rogers’ Through the Years), and then his son starts walking up the driveway toward the back yard, escorting my aunt. They come around the side of the house, my aunt sees all of us gathered back there, her husband standing next to a minister, and just about falls apart.
You see, for several years, they had talked about renewing their vows, but circumstances kept coming up, and they were never able to. So my uncle arranged for it on their 25th anniversary, when all the family and friends that could not attend their wedding the first time could absolutely be there. They renewed their vows right there on the deck behind their house.
It was one of the most touching, romantic things I have ever seen. These two people love each other. It is so obvious that they are as much in love now, if not more so, than they were when they were high-school sweethearts.
Sigh.
