As I was cleaning out the wads of receipts and business cards and receipts and grocery lists and receipts and expired coupons and receipts out of my wallet, I came upon a keepsake that I for sure did not want to trash. Ashley, my cousin, and Maid of Honor, gave me her notes/written copy of the toast she gave to me and Jeff on our wedding day. This is how it went…
A friend inquiring about this very wedding asked me the other day whether or not I liked Jeff. I instincitvely answered “yes,” but then she asked me what he was like. I paused. The only way I could describe him to her was, “He’s like someone who would work at Google.” For those of you who don’t know, Google’s workers are portrayed as innovative, cool nerds—not that Jeff is a nerd.
The truth is, I’ve only known Jeff for a few years in between family gatherings, brief conversations and of course, the male model in Huong and Jeff’s photo excursions. But I know he makes someone I love laugh and bare a toothy grin which is enough for me. They are equals, taking turns in the passenger seat as the other is driving home.
It is rare to meet a couple so visibly at ease with each other even if, as outsiders, we know little about their actual relationship. It is an obvious silent bond they share, and I trust that it will last until the day Jeff needs to put false teeth in to chew on Pez candy as Huong finds the calcium pill she hates to swallow hidden in her sandwich because Jeff wanted to be sure she would be strong enough to play Wii Bowling with him on their Friday date night.
But until then: From Roanoke to London to Vietnam they’ll Rome, and wherever they travel, they will make their home. He’ll support her decisions, and she’ll love his vision, as he looks at her through a camera lens.
I know right? It definitely made me shed a tear or twenty. To better explain the stuff that Ashley was scenario-izing about when we get older, Jeff used to have this huge collection of Pez dispensers…well, he still does but he’s stopped collecting. And I…I hate milk. Not so much anymore but I despised it as a child therefore my calcium levels are not so good. Also, I can’t swallow pills. Unless they’re itty bitty. And we have a Wii…with the only game being that Wii Sports or whatever…but now we have MarioKart thanks to Jenn and Kyle and our registry. Anyway. I appreciated those small little details that she paid attention to about us and when she was giving the toast it kind of felt like she was talking only to us since only a handful of people there really understood the inside jokes. It was a really nice moment that I just thought I’d share.
