a wedding

one of my very best friends and the person i consider a sister has now been married for 24 hours. after her name, her husband's name and the pastor's name, i got to sign the marriage license as a witness. then i got to walk down the aisle and look at her husband's face when he saw his bride for the first time. i had made it through the rehearsal (that took THREE HOURS!!!), dinner, giving shea a book of pictures and that included a very emotional personal letter to her, seeing her with her hair done, seeing her in her dress, seeing her cry over pretty much everything, and the entire ceremony - and then another bridesmaid and good friend, Meredith, had to go sing this song, and I lost it. everyone had already cried, and i had to go have my moment on the altar in front of 300 people - with the only tissue i had brought stuck down my cleavage. i thought i hid the whole thing really well until people started recognizing me at the reception as "that bridesmaid that started balling."

but all was beautiful and well, even the speech, which as co-maid-of-honor, i had to give, with molly's help. i held it together until the very, very end, when i had to say good bye to shea. stupid, really, because i was only saying good bye to her until i saw her again, which will probably be very soon, considering we live an hour away.

but i lost it. again. only this time, i couldn't stop crying for 30 minutes. it may have had something to do with the six cranberry and vodkas i had been secretly drinking during the supposed "dry" reception, but it also had to do with the fact that shea is all growed up, and i am about to burst with love and happiness for her. every time i even heard her name at the end of the night, i would start sobbing. i am so, so lucky to share the day with her and be a part of her life. and all i could think about was how much i love her husband (they're perfect - seriously) and how happy they're going to be together. that's rare and precious, that love that makes even the strongest women of steel cry because it's so real and powerful and makes me believe that it's possible for anyone, no matter what. and i am so, so happy shea and ben have found it and each other. it was an amazing wedding and an amazing weekend, though i think after three in a row, i need about a month to recover.