Eighteen Years Ago

Eighteen Years Ago Today I woke up surrounded by my best friends, nervously ate some breakfast, and put on a suit. Eighteen Years Ago Today I drove my little Pontiac 1000 to the Cleveland (Mississippi) Church of Christ. Eighteen Years Ago Today I went inside the building, greeted more friends, posed for pictures, tried to act cool. Eighteen Years Ago Today I sat in a side room with Eddie Lewis, a mentor and friend. My preacher. He tried to make me laugh. Eighteen Years Ago Today I heard that song that was our cue to walk into the auditorium and stand while I watched beautiful bridesmaids and handsome groomsmen make their way to join me. Eighteen Years Ago Today the doors at the back of the auditorium opened grandly, and the love of my life was escorted down the aisle by her father. He would become my father as our families merged in this moment of great transition. She walked past our friends, family members, and everyone stood. Eighteen Years Ago Today I sang a love song in front of everyone to the woman who would say "I do". Eighteen Years Ago Today while we were all playing our parts so well for the ceremony, the top layer of our wedding cake slid to the floor in the fellowship hall. Eighteen Years Ago Today a lady took what seemed to me to be 1,000 pictures. She used a camera in which the batteries were low. So there was a long wait between each of those 1,000 pictures. Eighteen Years Ago Today we exchanged rings and I kissed the bride. Eighteen Years Ago Today I tried to get into a car that had string around the doors, watermelons under the wheels, shaving cream on the windshield, and crickets inside. Thankfully, it was a hot July day and all the crickets perished, or my bride would not have entered the car. Eighteen Years Ago Today I started a new life and I am so thankful for all of the gifts God has given me through my family. "Love is something like the clouds that were in the sky before the sun came out. You cannot touch the clouds, you know; but you feel the rain and know how glad the flowers and the thirsty earth are to have it after a hot day. You cannot touch love either; but you feel the sweetness that it pours into everything." -- Annie Sullivan