I Attended a Wedding

It may have been mentioned here in the past, but for the context of this post, it’s necessary to repeat myself. I’ve never been particularly close to my family. My immediate family and I rarely get along, while my extended family reside in Asia, where contact is very minimal. Therefore, as a surrogate, I’ve turned to my friends to be my family.

However, there is one person whom I actually consider family more so than my blood relatives. I have a childhood friend who I’ve known for 24 years and I consider him my brother. More than my actual brother. We were close as kids, both figuratively and literally as we were neighbors. Unfortunately, he moved away to a different part of town and at a certain point, we drifted. We never really stopped talking for too long, keeping tabs on each other as we grew up. His ambition, drive, and intelligence eventually led him across the country, while I stayed in the same city where we grew up.

Over the years, despite no longer being as close as we were, he’s always supported me in various endeavors. There was even one night, post breakdown, where I just desperately needed someone to talk to and he picked up the phone. The call lasted nearly four hours and I remember seeing the sun rise to finally signal me to let him off the hook. I always felt I’d be indebted to him for the lifelong support and for the listening ear when I needed it.

As time passed and as I grew older, I believe I started feeling more sentimental and appreciative of the people around me. And of course, my friend made it on that list and that’s when I realized how much I cherished him as one of my closest friends and eventually, my brother. I’d like to think, it was similar for him, because we started talking more frequently and made more efforts to see each other when he was in town. I finally made it over to his State for a visit, something I had been threatening for years.

And I suppose it was for this reason that he told me about his plans to propose to his girlfriend. It was in the summer months and I was driving to Orlando when I received a picture message showing me an engagement ring. My jaw dropped and I was ecstatic. I had heard a lot about his girlfiend and she seemed pretty phenomenal. Overall, I was just incredibly overwhelmed that my brother found someone he loved enough that he wanted to marry them.

A few months later, he was in town and we were discussing the upcoming wedding. He informed me that due to some legal issues, the wedding had to be moved up and that’s an understatement. At the time of that conversation, the wedding had to take place in three months. As we talked, I mentioned something like, “You’re giving me anxiety just thinking about the rush.” With a nervous chuckle, he responded, “Well, I’m going to add more to your anxiety… you’re the Best Man.” There were a lot of feelings there. I was honored, overjoyed, bemused, and anxious. The first thought that crossed my mind was, “Is he sure?” Despite three spectacularly talented and whip-smart best friends, he chose me. He reassured me constantly that I was right person for the job.

A few months later, after some planning and a great Bachelor party, I was in Salt Lake City, driving all around the county, executing and picking up last minute odds and ends. My journey took me to the rural parts of the area, where I saw grazing cows, beautiful wheat fields, and breathtaking mountain vistas.

The hours leading up to the ceremony were, for a lack of a better term, a complete clusterfuck. While we rushed to pick up even more last minute tasks, we ended up about an hour late to the venue. And two very crucial parts of the ceremony were also left behind, but were thankfully retrieved in time. It was an incredibly stressful few hours and in that time, I had to witness my brother edge closer and closer to a nervous breakdown under the stress, pressure, and nerves. I had to stop him for a moment and tell him to breathe. He needed to be composed for his ceremony, after all.

The ceremony went beautifully. I can’t express the joy I felt as I stood behind my brother as he bound himself to the woman he loved. And for once, not as an impediment, but a support in this wonderful time. It’s something that I will treasure for the rest of my life and there won’t likely be anything to top it.

In the spirit of the holiday that just passed, I figured it was time to show my gratitude. I thank my brother for always being there for me. I thank my brother for helping me when I needed it most. And I thank my brother for allowing me the opportunity to pay him back.

Keep on.

Adam