Wedding Week

Here we are, one week away from the wedding.  A year in the making and honestly, twenty four years in the imagination.  Hayley Rae is getting married.  This little girl of mine, the one that was sometimes Snow White, sometimes the Witch and sometimes, Girl.  This little girl that loved spinny dresses and holding the hand of Grandma Snow that had the pretty ring on it.
And now, she has a pretty ring of her own and a stunning spinny dress.  She has her prince, her hero, her Curly.
She has asked me many times if I will cry.  And I always say no.   Cry that she has her happiness.  Cry that she has the partner she wants for always.  Cry that she was fortunate enough to have known that it was worth putting in the work and that it will always be worth it.  Of course I will cry.
Her dad and I have been asked so many times if this marriage is a good thing, if we approve of the guy, if we are happy with the match.  Yes, is the short answer.  This marriage is a good thing.  We approve of the guy.  We are happy with the match.  We feel very fortunate that Hayley has Brett.  Brett is a good man.  He will take care of her and she, him.  They have learned and will continue to learn what partnership is.  They will be support for each other, cheerleading and coaching and even being the irrational fan on the sidelines pulling at their hair and cursing the play.  They will see each other through the shitty days and weeks and months because they know this isn't something they get to walk away from.
One week away from Hayley Rae White becoming Hayley Rae Vanderpool.  One week away from our family getting officially bigger though Brett has been one of us for years.  One week away from a couple hundred folks that really love these two coming together to celebrate.  And still so many more that had too many miles to travel to be there.  And others that will be there in the love of everyone else.
Enjoy this wedding week!  Enjoy the flood of congratulations and good natured jokes.  Enjoy the busyness of last minute preps, the frenzy of the set up, the short quiet moment before the I "I do".