We were sitting in the Pittsburgh airport on seats beside the counter, flipping through separate magazines. At the same moment, each of us raised an arm to wrap ’round the other, bumping elbows and wrists. We laughed long and settled back into our reading with contented smiles.
When I was twenty-eight, I met Sarah, and the rest of my life began.
At my wedding, my brother Christopher delivered the most impressive best-man toast I have ever heard, shoulders wide, eyes shining, big smile and a speech that made everyone happy. We laughed and we sighed, and I’ve never seen my father beam so.
He said that I was happy. And I am happy. So many things that would stress me to dread seem dulled by the happy progress of life.
And I realize after living with him for a year, that I will miss him.
“You’ll be riding along in an automobile. You’ll be the driver perhaps. You’re a Christian. There’ll be several people in the automobile with you, maybe someone who is not a Christian. When the trumpet sounds you and the other born-again believers in that automobile will be instantly caught away — you will disappear, leaving behind only your clothes and physical things that cannot inherit eternal life. That unsaved person or persons in the automobile will suddenly be startled to find the car suddenly somewhere crashes…. Other cars on the highway driven by believers will suddenly be out of control and stark pandemonium will occur on … every highway in the world where Christians are caught away from the drivers wheel.”
– Rev Jerry Falwell, in his pamphlet, “Nuclear War and the Second Coming of Christ,” quoted from Ronnie Dugger, “Does Reagan Expect a Nuclear Armageddon?” in Washington Post Outlook (April 8, 1984)
Adieu, crazy man.
It’s Saturday.
Next weekend is Easter.
The next weekend is our wedding.
The important things are scheduled.
The more important little things are coming together.
The less important little things aren’t really that important.
I’M GETTING MARRIED!
My extended family saw this coming two years ago, right after meeting Sarah. Their love grew from “We all like her” to “I think an October wedding would be nice” over several hours on a roof-top afternoon in Brooklyn.
From then to now have been the happiest days of my life.
And this is all just beginning . . .