Six years ago I met some of the best friends I have ever had. Twelve years after Bobby and I became baseball card enthusiasts, eight years after Nathan and I "won" the NCAA basketball championship in the playroom at my house, and six years after Josh and I fended off cicadas with tennis racquets as we managed our lawn care business, I met a group of people that I will treasure for the rest of my life. As we began the quest to get our Master's degrees at Auburn University and our first jobs as athletic trainers, we also began friendships that were more than just those of co-workers. We fight like a family, laugh like a family, disagree like a family, but most importantly, have many great memories like a family.
This past weekend one of those friends, Bryan, married the love of his life in a wedding that can only be adequately described using words that you would have to Google. I had the pleasure of standing up as a groomsman along with one of our other friends, Dave, in support of our former roommate/grill master. Weddings are funny to me in that they are all somewhat similar but always have a few things that set them apart from the others. This was my first Greek Orthodox wedding and also my first wedding indoors with no air conditioning. My small stature allowed me (as it has my entire life) to be on the end of the row which worked to my benefit, as it actually has more times than not. During the rehearsal there was no air flow to speak of, so I came to the ceremony mentally prepared to lose a few pounds by the means of perspiration. Much to my approval there was a fan pointed directly at the row of groomsman upon my arrival! I can't speak for any one else in the bridal party but I was quite comfortable.
One thing that became glaringly evident this time around was that being in a wedding is much different than being the wedding. Beyond the "stand there in a tux and look good" part (which I feel has always come naturally to me) my duty of "hey could you guys bring some drinks to the church on your way over" was actually pretty easy. I didn't have alot of responsibility at my own wedding either, but something about being the groom makes a man really uneasy. (I would like to take this time to thank my wife for five wonderful years of marriage this month and also to my buddies who made me go through with it.*) Bryan has always been our coordinator, tour guide, and walking Wikipedia planning all of our events and keeping us on task, so to see him amidst the madness of his wedding day keeping it cooler than "Franck" in Father of the Bride was no shock to me. This self proclaimed "Groomzilla" held it together better than I ever could've dreamed of doing myself. Other than the unique setting of Napa Valley and San Fransisco, it seemed like we hadn't ever left Auburn. It is amazing to me when you can get together with old friends after a year or two have passed and you never miss a beat.
Although I am still young, I am beginning to realize how fast life goes by. It doesn't seem like too long ago Bobby and I were riding our bikes back and forth to the Bellwood baseball card shop trying to score that lucky card that would really make us legit card traders. I only feel a few years older than I did when Nathan and I tried to keep up with the crowd in junior high and "J and J Lawncare" seems like just last week. I am so thankful for all of the friends I have made over the years. I have some friends that I haven't heard from in a long time and some that I still spend a good bit of time with. I only hope that I have had a portion of the impact that you all have had on my life. I am thankful for all the laughs that I have had and the ones that are yet to come. I made a few new friends at the wedding but one became an official addition. To Alexis MacMunn, welcome to our unique little family. We are excited for you to begin your new life with one of the greatest guys we know. Now a toast...to the bride and groom...Opa!!! **
**I think Opa means War Eagle in Greek...
No comments:
Post a Comment