My Baby Brother Got Married

There are something things in life you know will probably happen in the future, yet are never prepared for when they actually do… My baby brother’s wedding is one of those things. Maybe it is because he is the baby of the family, so it’s some subconscious part of my brain thinks that while he is now an adult… he should also still be 10 and watching me dominate at Mario Party.

The fact that I felt unprepared for the event is also ridiculous because this wedding was planned like nothing I had ever experienced before… there was a run sheet for everything, logistics meetings and 1000s of texts and calls to confirm details for the part my little family of three had to play… you would think that with all that preparation I would have realised what was happening… but I didn’t.

I still hadn’t caught on as I helped them move things into their new apartment, or when I sat through a very detailed wedding logistics meeting last weekend. Not even when I tried on my new dress or rehearsed the song that we had chosen for me to lead the congregation in singing during the ceremony. The penny still didn’t drop when Dave and I were watching Isaac be driven around in a miniature convertible making sure he would love his trip down the isle and not scream. Even yesterday as I got my hair and makeup done… I still hadn’t let the reality sink in… I don’t think I actually realised until I watched my my little brother articulate clearly and beautifully all the things he loved about the woman standing in front of him as he read the vowels he had written for her.

Yesterday I got to witness two young people promise to be the moon and so much more for each other, to share their lives, to support and challenge. To be their person for all time… and it was beautiful. It was also a really nice reminder of the things that I had promised to my person almost 8 years ago. But this blog is not about that. This blog is to admit that I finally get it… he is a grown up… and he is married. And… because of all of this I have gained a passionate, strong and caring sister who balances and loves my brother better than I could have hoped. This is one of things that gets quickly overlooked at weddings, overshadowed by the displays of love and affection. When people get married it’s not just two people who get joined for life, but families that grow… well that’s how it is supposed to work anyway. Our already complex and large family grew by one and her family. Which means that while we get one more person to care for and include, it also means we gain one more person on our team, to love and support us, just as we will her. Marriage is an old, but powerful thing and it is most definitely worth celebrating.