Dear love,
Do you know why I get so caught up looking at you sometimes?
It's because I don't always see you the way the mirror does. Sometimes I glance over and see the version of you that first showed me what it meant to love someone.
I see 10-year-old you and it makes me feel like 9-year-old me... back before life got complicated and relationships hurt.
I look over and see a memory... a silly little candle wish on a homemade banana cake that I'd marry you someday. The first birthday wish I ever remember making. It was you.
And there you are.
I can't help but to still be amazed by it all... you're my wish come true.
Dear Mom,
I can hardly believe that in less than two days, I have the honor of marrying the first boy I ever had a crush on.
You always had a soft spot in your heart for him... the cute little redhead who kept smiling at me during church... even back when we were kids. You weren't surprised in the least when we reconnected over twenty years later... when we fell head over heels for each other... again... or when he proposed on the Isle of Palms.
I remember your excitement when we called you afterwards... I remember our long talks about how much you were looking forward to recovering well enough to be able to be next to me when we exchange our vows. My matron of honor... and I know that you WILL be there, smiling down on us... probably saying, "Well, it's about time! I told you he was a keeper!"
It's going to be just us, the girls... our family... and even though we won't be able to celebrate in person with all of our friends and loved ones until after the pandemic retreats, it'll still be as perfect as can be.
I haven't finished writing my vows yet... I have so much of my heart to share--too much to fit into the span of a mere couple of minutes. I wish I could read them to you... so you can tell me if I'm being too funny when I should be serious... or being too serious when I should lighten up... but I think you would say to let my heart speak for itself instead of trying to nitpick at words.
There are less than two days until my first ever boyfriend also becomes my last... and I can hardly wait to tell you all about it. ♡
I miss you, Mom.
Love always,
"Pookie"
Kaleidoscopic Grace 