Saturday, November 1, 2008

Friends

This post is late, as are most things lately (read previous post!!) but nevertheless it was very important for me to share!!!

Let us go back in time to September 13th, to Great Neck, Long Island for the wedding of Chris' college roommate, Dominic and his lovely bride, Alexis.
We have both adored Dom since the UPenn days, but we fell in love with Alexis within 10 minutes of meeting her. Chris and I both had the same reaction: "Oh man...I hope Dom knows to hold on to this one!!" :-) We have enjoyed several destination wedding weekends with them and the other 415ers, and while they currently live in NYC we have talked them into coming down to visit a couple of times. Along with our dear friend Kempton they were the icing on the cake of Chris' surprise 30th birthday party. I will never forget the look on Chris' face as he turned around to see the 3 New Yorkers standing there to celebrate with him.
People that fly in for less than 48 hours just to celebrate your birthday with you are pretty serious friends.

But I digress...back to the wedding! It was a lovely weekend catching up with old friends, making new ones, getting to see the "Perfect Family" (I LOVE the Ainscough's) and toasting the soon-to-be Mr. & Mrs. The ceremony and reception were just stunning. Venue was amazing, every detail taken care of, and the Bride looked like a movie star. Chris stood proudly as a groomsman and before we knew it we were all enjoying the reception together.

When it was time for dinner we all headed to the ballroom. The table settings, flowers were just gorgeous. As I sat down I noticed my fancy china, silverware, a rectangular shaped card that I assumed was the menu and then a smaller round card above that. I wasn't seeing too well by that point in the evening (and my magical glasses clashed with my dress so I wasn't wearing them) but I finally closed one eye and tried to read the interesting round card to see what it said...and I was Speechless.

Printed out at every single guests' place setting was a beautiful card that read, "Dear Family and Friends, In honor of our guests, we have made a donation to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. We thank you for being part of our lives and joining us on our wedding day. Love, Alexis and Dominic". And all of a sudden I am blinking back tears and doing that silly waving my hands at my face thing that women do when they are trying not cry! hahaha

Instead of giving their guests favors, our dear friends gave a donation to my favorite charity, in our hope for a cure. I don't think friends get much better than that.

I always feel so guilty about not spending enough time with the people I love, for not being able to do more, to fly up to NY or Cherry Hill to visit the people I hold near and dear, to spend more time with my family and friends here in Atlanta...I always feel as if I am not a good enough friend because this disease and just Life in general robs me of so much energy and time.

And then I see how much my friends love, support and appreciate me with an amazing gift like the Ainscough's gave me that day and I realize that the Wizard, as he spoke to the Tin Man, was right all along:
"And remember my sentimental friend...that a heart is not judged by how much you love, but by how much you are loved by others."

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