The Void

My wedding was perfect.

But I suppose every bride says that, so I don't think anyone (besides my mother) would feel inclined to believe me.

Still, you should just take my word for it, because it was perfect. And all those things I was worried about? (Things like caring what other people thought of the wedding?) Yeah, I didn't worry about them so much. It really was, for me, a wonderful, beautiful day--the kind I'd dreamed about.

There was one thing, however, that was missing. Two people, actually, and the absence of those special people left a noticable void. And as this blog serves its purpose first to document funny happenings in my day-to-day world and second as a documentation of my life,  I would be remiss if I did not take the time to write about how sad I was that my paternal grandparents were unable to fly to Oklahoma and come to my wedding.

What made it even sadder was that the tickets had been purchased; the plans had been made. It was only on Friday, the day before the wedding, that they made the final decision to stay home in Illinois.  Earlier in the week, my grandpa had complained about pain in his right ear and headaches. Then I heard that he had gotten sick and been taken to the emergency room.

Still, we hoped he would be released, and they could simply change their tickets and fly in later on Friday. That ended up not happening, and on Friday morning my grandpa was still not feeling well at all. So they cancelled their flight, and my grandma called my mom to tell her they weren't coming.

I am so blessed to have four living grandparents. I have a strong Christian family tree with marriages that have lasted for decades and are still going strong. My dad's parents have been married for over six. For being in their late 80s, Grandma Lee and Grandpa Bernie are in great health. They had initially planned on making the thirteen-hour drive to Oklahoma. And they could have done it. They're crazy.

So I never even for a moment imagined them not being at my wedding, and when I heard the news I honestly didn't know what to think. I called my grandma first. It was Friday around noon, and she was at the store getting some food for Grandpa. We both barely held it together while we talked, and at the end of the call she was on the verge of tears. I can't say I've actually ever seen my grandma cry, so to hear her voice break as she told me she loved me and would be praying hard for our wedding almost put me over the edge.

I called my grandpa next, and he almost started crying too, which of course made me start crying. It was a mess. It had been bad enough when Jordan's beloved Papa Bob passed away less than two months earlier. Now my grandparents were going to miss our wedding too.

I told my grandpa to not feel bad; of course I understood why he couldn't come, and all I wanted was for him to feel better soon. Even though it made me sad, I was so glad I called them.

I found out later that my grandma told her brother (Uncle Bill) to "take some pictures for her." He took over 700.

I said that if I'd known that, I wouldn't have hired a professional photographer.

My wedding was perfect. But without sounding like a crazy person, I'll say that I believe it was because I had two people praying like mad for us all day. They left a void, yes, but my grandma put it best when she said that they were where they were supposed to be--at home, resting and getting better, showering us with love and blessings from three states away.

So thanks, Grandma and Grandpa.

Your granddaughter had a wonderful, beautiful, perfect day. The kind she'd always dreamed about.

Photo of Jordan, me, Grandma Lee, and Grandpa Bernie. Taken Christmas 2010.