Carolyn and Jay Story, Part Two of The Wedding
My Father’s Blessing
My parents would have had plenty of reasons to say “I told you so” about various choices I made in my young adult life. But they never did. They simply loved me and never stopped believing and praying for me.
It was such a blessing that they were there in the garden that day. As my father took my hand to begin the garden walk, he looked directly into my eyes and said, “You picked the right one.” Jay was a member of the family at that second.
The Garden’s Not Completely Perfect Location
We were so impressed with the beauty of the garden that we sort of overlooked how close it was to UK Medical Center.
As the ceremony began, the birds sang sweetly in the trees and the harpist played a gentle lilting melody. Everyone emerged from their perfectly choreographed spots and went where they were supposed to go. The minister began in appropriately solemn tones.
However, his voice was quickly drowned out by the sound of a helicopter overhead. The medical chopper headed to U.K. was apparently delayed in its landing and circled over the garden.
It was like the beginning of an episode of MASH. If someone had yelled, “Incoming!” half of our guests would have hit the ground!
The minister talked louder, adjusting his voice with each circle of the helicopter. He seemed relieved, as it was finally cleared to land at the med center.
However, his relief was soon overshadowed by another sound. An ambulance with sirens blasting made its way up Nicholasville Road. Now realizing his vocal range was going to be required again, he rose to the occasion … or should I say, his vocals cords came to full thrust!
He was quoting The Love Verses of First Corinthians at the time. As the ambulance got closer and closer, he yelled louder and louder. As soon as the ambulance cleared the Nicholasville Road light, they killed the siren, leaving our minister red faced and screaming into the silence, “Love is not easily angered!” At this point, the guests were beginning to snicker.
He, once again, adjusted his voice, but for the remainder of the ceremony, looked on guard!
He continued with the ceremony, but was momentarily distracted by a new sound. There was a peculiar whining sound that began in the garden. This was followed by the sound of off key harp notes. The gentle breeze had picked up and changed into a wind, that caused the harp strings to begin a tune of their own. They were quickly captured by our harpist … but not before …
Our minister forgot that Jay had not said his part about accepting his ring. As the minister forged ahead, the groomsmen tried to cue him, without success. Finally they were yelling, “Let Jay do the ring!”
This, of course, confused him because he knew Jay already had the ring! But after he realized what had happened, he got back on track and the ceremony proceeded.
However, the next sound was what sounded like an 18 wheeler backing into the garden. No one was sure what it was, but at this point, we all just desperately wanted to get this thing done!
The minister nearing the end of the ceremony, launched into The Blessing, saying, “Love life, so that Love will life you!” The groomsmen lost it. They cracked up in belly laughs, and our guests, even those who had tried to remain serious, laughed.
The minister tried to finish the “sending forth,” but paused too long, at one point, making the harpist believe he was done. So she started to play the recessional and the minister returned to yelling … and she stopped playing … leaving him once again yelling his parting blessing into silence!
The sound of laughter was covered over by the return of the sound of the truck. As our guests stood up, they felt the wind at their backs, as several large men, grabbed their chairs, folded them up and threw (yes, threw!) them into the back of the truck.
We rented those chairs, so our best speculation is they were being rushed to the next event!
We all moved on to the party room of our apartment for the reception. When Jay and I ceremonially departed, we didn’t go far. We drove around the block, went up the back steps, and went to our apartment. We sat and watched our guests through the window … and realized we had done it! We were married!
And we wondered what life would be like in 40 or 50 years. And that, as they say … is the rest of the story!
Thank you for letting us celebrate our Anniversary with you and thank you for all the good wishes! We are blessed!
I would have loved to be there. 💙