May 11, 2007

The missing bridesmaid

So my college roommate and best friend Heather Munn got married last Saturday... and I missed it.

Heather spent six months in Nigeria last year working with Mashiah Foundation, a Christian organisation ministering to women and children affected by HIV/AIDS. It was partly so she could be around that I decided to get married last November instead of this spring sometime. (It ended up to be a good thing anyway.) So Heather was one of my three bridesmaids.

She'd been dating this guy named Paul for almost three years. She met him through her church in Illinois, Reba Place, and they'd talked about maybe getting married someday, if they were sure it was God's plan for them. So in January, Paul--knowing Heather needed to work through some things--told her she should ask him to marry her if and when she was ready. In February, Heather finally proposed to Paul, and they set the wedding date for May 5.

There was no way I could be there. It was simply impossible. Heather joked that they could make a full-size cardboard image of me and have it "walk down the aisle" as a bridesmaid... or photoshop me into all the photos of the wedding party. It made me laugh.

...And it made me cry. I always thought I'd be at Heather's wedding, if not in it. It's a girl thing, I guess, to be so intent on friends' weddings. But it was truly heartbreaking to have to miss out on the festivities, on celebrating the biggest day in Heather's life.

But it wasn't meant to be. So congratulations, Heather! Best wishes on your new union, and I hope you agreed to let him take your name! :)
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2 comments:

  1. Lisa Gertz21:25

    I'm sorry you missed her wedding, Saralynn. I remember feeling similarly when I had to miss Dacia's wedding, and later when Steve and I missed Josh Snyder's and Simon and Claire's weddings. It's not fun.

    I did feel a bit better about it when I had good visits with them later on. Josh and Viv spent a week of their furlough with us and we enjoyed getting to know Viv. And last July, we spent a week in London with Simon and Claire.

    I'm glad Heather was in your wedding! And I'm glad I was there too!

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  2. Pen of Jen09:48

    I am sorry that you weren't able to go.

    I understand because I was pregnant in Germany when sister and brother got married. I could not go to either.

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