On Friends at Weddings

There have been many congratulations today for the happy couple, all of them deserved. But I wanted to take a moment to recognize that today is a triumph not only for these two individuals, but two entire families.

Not just parents, but siblings, aunts and uncles, cousins and kinfolk. You all participated in one form or another in raising them, in being present right from the start. Today is due in part to your influence in their life, and for that you are due great credit, and thanks.

And I’m jealous. They’re special people to know, but I envy the chance to know who they began as. Where they went from there, how far they’ve come. It’s an amazing thing to think about the people you’ve known your entire life. That list of names never gets any longer, and you’re all on it. Cheers.

Now having said that, as a friend of the couple, I must admit to feeling a bit smug to be here. Smug!

Because whatever path their life took, no matter when or how they got here, you’d be here as well. You’re family. You come free with every purchase.

As friends? We found these guys. There were no promises that we would be here today.

The world is very big. And no matter where you go, you’ll find people there. And people can be pretty great. But it’s still very hard to find people you really like. It’s even harder to build friendships, to maintain them. To grow with them.

Today, know that their friends rejoice. That the great, golden, glorious luck we feel at having found them is just a shadow of what they feel when they look at each other.