My Best Friend's Wedding

 Hi Y'all

Gosh, sorry that was annoying.  I really hate when people who move down south and then come back up here and start saying y'all.  Some of my friends do it.  I don't hate you, I hate your greetings.  Anyway I was around some southerners this weekend but for the most part they kept their accents to a minimum so I was cool.

I was around our brothers from down south because my brother was getting married to his long time girlfriend Kate.  While this was not my Best Friend's Wedding, thats coming up in 2 weeks KTB! I still think of Matthew as my friend and Kate as my new sister.  I did end up writing a speech.  I wrote it in 5minutes following the rehearsal dinner.  I love a pressured deadline.  

Of course I ended up winning in the speech department, as I have occasional breakthroughs. So now, as a further tribute to the newly married couple, I will post it here.  They're in Jamaica having fun so they probably won't relive it online and I'm in the city where I had to step over vomit (gross people, gross) on my stoop on the way to work this morning....so maybe they're the winners?  Anyway, here you go.  Real post to come Wednesday.

I would like to start out by thanking everyone for coming.  After what we have gone through recently it brings us such happiness to have all our loved ones under the same roof for a more joyful occasion.  I would also like to say I cannot believe my brother is married!  Yesterday, as I watched him go through the wedding rehearsal, I thought to myself how proud I was of him and how lucky he was to have Kate. 

In my mind he is still the same annoying big brother who pulled my hair and told embarrassing stories at my expense. But I realize now that he is so much more than that. 

Matthew, dad would have been beaming and we know how much he loved you and Kate and how much he would have loved to have been here today.  So even though he isn’t here in person we know he is up in heaven looking down and bragging about you right now.

I used to always ask my mum for a little sister because I needed an ally against Matthew.  It wasn’t until I was in college that I really appreciated having a big brother.  Before that, I still saw my brother as someone who was just there to pull pranks on me.  I can recall one Christmas he stole something of mine months before, wrapped it up and then presented it to me Christmas morning.  I opened what I thought was some amazing toy and instead all I got a doll of mine he had cut the head off of. 

Well 20 years later you finally gave me what I really wanted, a sister.  Matthew you are more than a big brother to me you’re my friend and Kate I am so lucky to have you in my life, I look forward to all the good times we have ahead.  Congratulations to you both, I love you.

Nice blurry camera photo of my table at the wedding.