Wedding

He asked her.  Phillip asked our daughter to marry him.  She said "yes".  He gave her a beautiful ring.  Afterward, they joined Charlotte, Jamie, and I along with his parents at Cozymel’s, a Little Rock restaurant. 

Phillip did well.  He surprised her.  He even surprised her by taking her to celebrate with both sets of parents afterward.  It was a very nice and special evening.  So–they are going to get married.  September 3.  Yes, this year.

Christine immediately began calling relatives and friends.  (I mean before they left the restaurant!)  She called more of them on Saturday.  On Sunday afternoon, she told me that most of them asked her the same question:

"How’s your Dad?"

What do you mean, "How’s your Dad?"!  Surely my own relatives and friends don’t think I am that much of a flake.  Surely they don’t think I would have a hard time with any of this.  On the other hand, maybe they know me too well.

The mature side of me responds to all of this by saying (and thinking):

• I am very, very happy for them.
• Phillip is a wonderful guy.  I am very proud of the kind of young man that he is.
• His parents are great people.  It is a comfort to think that our daughter will have such fine people for in-laws.
• All of this is an answer to prayer.  Much prayer.

The other side (the less mature side) of me thinks:

• Married?!  Aren’t we going to pick up where we left off before you went to Harding?  Aren’t we going to play more basketball on the driveway?
• Wait a minute, I’m not old enough for all this.  Or–does this mean I am old ?
• Do my children have to grow up?  Can’t it all just stay the same?

We were on our way back from Searcy last night.  Charlotte and Jamie were either on the cell phone or talking about weddings etc. 

It may get very busy.