Nearly 30 years after he first held the tiniest baby either of us had ever seen, my husband Vince got to preside over her wedding.
The ceremony, which took place on a perfect Friday evening, celebrated life, love, laughter, family and parenting in all its forms — step parents, birth parents, grandparents, godparents, foster parents, and some of the happiest parents of the bride we’ve ever seen.
Like the bands the newlyweds placed on each other’s fingers, the circles of love surrounding Kalie and Kyle intersected in beautiful ways. Kalie’s mom Sue exuded joy as she pinned flowers, straightened decorations and coaxed a reluctant flower girl down the aisle; her dad Ray caused the entire bridal party and most of the attendees to well up with his sweet, surprise rendition of “I loved her first”; her young son Jonathan stood tall and strong as a proud groomsmen; her birthmother Lisa watched with love and support.
Sometimes, life unfolds in little bursts of unexpected miracles — babies who find their way to the exact people who are meant to raise them, young mothers who realize that person may or may not be them and parents who celebrate the gift of family so generously that they welcome everyone to the party.
We were thrilled to celebrate with Kalie and Kyle and we wish them and their amazing, extended, happy, boisterous, tender, joyful, brave, lovely family a lifetime of love.