Families ...

I had to make a speech at my son's wedding this past weekend (which was spectacular, by the way) and I mulled the topic over in my head for a long time.  I goggled 'mother-of-the-groom wedding speeches', which brought up very little - except to say that the mother-of-the-groom rarely speaks at weddings.  Hmmm, how old was that statement?

I wondered about regaling the guests with funny stories of Mike's growing up.  That would have been so easy as there were loads of them!  But, at age 36, I didn't think it appropriate to embarrass him with baby stories (as I might have a 20 year old.)

So, I fell back on the advice theme (a mother is ALWAYS giving advice, right?)  But, what?  I mulled it over some more.  Finally, I decided on 'families', how important they can be in our lives, but how easily we neglect them.

It was an easy speech to write after that.  I am SO proud of my grown kids!  Not just because they are intelligent (which they are), or handsome (which they are - in my humble, 'unbiased' opinion ;) and not just because they are all successful in their own fields ... but, because they are such great people!  I love spending time with them!  They are friendly, polite, caring, funny and down-to-earth individuals.

However, I knew I couldn't just get up there and blow my own horn, so to speak.  But, Ray and I do take some credit for how they have turned out - and it didn't come easy!  Creating a successful family takes a lot of hard work - making the baby is the easy part!  I thought of Mike and Al as they start their own branch of our family tree, and in my speech I likened this stage of their lives to me gleefully digging up and putting in a new flower bed last year.  I planted a slew of lovely perennials and looked after it well last year since it was new and a novelty.  But, this spring the weeds came up with the plants, and since I had moved on to newer projects with no time to spend on it, it got quite overgrown and a bit of a mess.  I saved it with some back-breaking work, just in time.

Our families are like that.  So easy to take for granted, but without care and attention they too can become a mess.  Thus, I used this garden analogy at the wedding, (and actually got a bit carried away when I pointed to all the young people sitting there and told them they didn't just 'spontaneously combust' into the great folk they are, someone put a lot of effort into them!)

Did my son hear my message?  Well, when we were having the traditional 'mother-son' dance 15 mins. later, he said, "Great speech mum. So, let's see if I've got this right, you want me to plant a garden?"

Why do I bother?????

But, it was a smashing wedding, full of laughter and love, just as weddings are supposed to be.  (And, I'm so glad they didn't elope, as I had once hoped - we would have all missed out on a fantastic day!)