On Being the Father of the Bride

Recently, I had the experience of walking my daughter down the aisle at her wedding. I don't think that any father has an idea beforehand of what that experience feels like. I was told that some folks had placed bets on when, exactly, I would lose it. As it turned out, I did not cry, which is saying something for a dad who has always teared up when talking about his daughter to others. In hindsight, I know why the tears really never fell in quantity: it was much too happy an occasion for such to happen. My daughter and her new husband have had a long courtship, and the love and friendship between them has been evident to anyone who has ever seen them together. And the ceremony was a service of Christian marriage, and I know how important my daughter's faith has always been to her. So, it was a day for joy, not tears. I have admitted to biting the insides of my cheeks during most of the ceremony, however. If you have not guessed as much by now, I did not perform the wedding. My daughter wanted me to be the father of the bride for the whole day, and it was indeed a privilege to be just that. When I look at the photos of my daughter in her wedding gown, I am struck by her radiance. She has always been beautiful and photogenic, so that is not a surprise. But there is a look in her eyes and in her smile that tells anyone who sees the photo that she is having the time of her life. Several times during the wedding and reception she commented on how unbelievably happy she was. The way in which she made the remark reminded me of a child who makes a new discovery in a meadow of flowers: the expression was one of joy and wonder. There is nothing else in all the world that I could wish for her on her wedding day that would exceed those emotions. I have often referred to the saying "God danced on the day that you were born" when speaking about my daughter. Now, I believe that God also enjoys a good wedding dance! Thanks be to the One who is eternal and whose love never ends, and who enables mothers and fathers and sons and daughters to share in a love that is unending.