Congratulations, Dude...

Those of you who know my friend Cindy will completely understand this. For years I have thought that when Cindy gets married, it was going to be one HECK of a party, because she is so well-traveled and so well-loved.


And it was true. I have never known anyone else in my life who affects people the way Cindy does. She truly brings out the best in everyone, and has a way of making people feel great. When we were in high school, she crossed social lines and had close friends in literally every circle of our large school. She was voted "Most Outgoing," but she could've also been called "kindest," "most accepting," "most sincere," and "best friend." I have been honored since the age of 13 to call her my closest confidante. Since then, she has traveled the globe and accomplished many things, but through it all, we haven't gone a week without being in touch.


This weekend she married Chan, who seems to be right up there in the "well-loved" category. You should have heard the speeches at the reception. People were practically fighting for a chance to pick up a microphone and tell how their lives had been touched by Chan and Cindy. And folks traveled from 3 countries and 13 states to see them get hitched.


Of course, like many weddings, there were a few hitches here and there. (Dear limo driver, pretty much the most important responsibility that you have on a girl's wedding day is to SHOW UP to take her to the church. The rest is just fluff.) But Cindy walked down that aisle (just a few minutes late) with her million dollar smile and the rest of the day was incredible.


I also got to see so many dear friends, it was such a special treat for me as well. (I even saw MOMommy and Midwest Mom, for those who read over there) I think the best part for me was that the bridal party got in the limo after the ceremony, and for some reason I thought we were going straight to the reception. But to my surprise, we took that limo full of cold drinks into downtown Chicago, where we got out and took pictures in a couple of places. It was so much fun to laugh about the day's events and tour around the city for a bit with some really fun people.


And laughter. That was the overreaching theme from the weekend. I laughed so much and so hard. Oh, man, that was some funny stuff.


The kids did well back at home with my mom and Greg. By Sunday, they were getting cranky and ready for us to return, but they did a good job. It was nice to be able to enjoy the weekend knowing that the kids were well cared for. I missed them, and it's nice to be happy to see them after some time away.


So congratulations to Cindy and Chan! I am so happy for the two of them, and it was a great celebration.