A Bittersweet Event

You are cordially invited to attend the union of two extraordinary people. The wedding will occur at a place where any die-hard baseball fan would hold the party of his life! Please join us at the home of a most beloved baseball team – Dodger Stadium!

This crazy-in-love couple has one minor difference. The groom is about 15 years older than the bride. “No big deal” you say? No, it isn’t a big deal. Love has no boundaries. We don’t question how or why people fall in love, but only that they love each other with all of their hearts.

The groom was a close friend of the bride’s father. They worked together for a company that makes parts for motorcycles. When the bride graduated from college, she began working for the same company as her father, and in doing so, became close with the future groom. Her parents disapproved of the relationship because of the age difference. As time passed, and the parents saw how happy their little girl was with this gentle, honest and loving man, they fell more in love with him than ever and welcomed him into the family.

As love grew stronger, the groom-to-be discovered that his kidneys didn’t work right. After surgery and learning how to function with one kidney, spirits were lifted high and the couple began to make plans to join their lives. Fate, however, was not on their side, as his one remaining kidney began to fail. Frequent dialysis and medication helped get his life back to a semi-normal state. A search for a transplant began immediately.

Many of the co-workers volunteered to get tested. Even the father of the bride-to-be was tested to see if he was a match. Oddly enough, he was a match! So there you have it, a done deal. The date was set and all parties were very excited about the impending miracle, both the receiving and the giving. During the final testing two days before the surgery, the father of the bride received some devastating news. A large tumor was located in the lower part of his colon. He would not be having any surgery soon…not even his own. In order to safely remove the tumor, the doctors ordered radiation treatments to shrink the mass, as well as chemotherapy to combat the cancer cells which surrounded it. A great doctor, an incredibly strong faith in God, and the combined support of work, family and friends helped to get the dad through the next nine months. At the post-op check-up, the father of the bride was given a clean bill of health! Life was good!

“Come back in three months” said the doctor, “and we’ll make it official!” Three months later, the official news was that a few spots had reappeared close to other organs.

“No problem” said the father, “we beat this once; we will do it again!” This time it was just the chemo used to wipe out the intruder cells. It took the father a little longer to recover from treatments. Things were compounded by pain and nausea. Happy pills were prescribed which helped the father’s disposition. Life was okay! The wedding plans were coming along and everyone was excited about the very special day!

Soon after, the father experienced difficulty breathing. After being taken to the hospital and put on a ventilator, he seemed to settle down. He was sedated most of the time. He started to regain his color, and blood counts were coming back to normal. Then, for no reason, it all turned the other way. Within a week, God took him home.

The family was devastated and in shock. It took a few days for reality to set in. The family all agreed that the father of the bride would want the wedding to go on as planned. He wanted it to be the happiest and most amazing day for his daughter.

So, the wedding day arrived and the crowds (guests) cheered as the couple was pronounced husband and wife. After the wedding party stopped to pose at home plate, they joined the guests in one of the stadium banquet rooms. They all ate, drank and danced the night away! I can visualize my brother proudly watching this blessed event from above, along with my parents, and sporting his trademark smile that extended from his brows down to his chin! She knew he was there…they all knew!