Family Weddings

I love family weddings. It brings everyone together and all the differences, the cattiness,and the crap that comes with a family is just gone.
Where else can you see one of your nieces looking so beautiful she takes your breath away, cry for her dad (your brother)as he kisses her and hands her over to her new husband, and then continue onto a night of many significant moments.
I watched ex wives and husbands dancing together to some old song that used to be theirs,while the new spouses watched on and smiled. Fathers and daughters dancing to songs that have been theirs for years, little nieces and nephews twirling around being as cute as they can be. I danced with my sister, my neice, my mom and even had a nice slow dance with my stepfather. (whose feet are probally bruised this morning.)I even did the conga line to "Viva Las Vegas" the whole time My arms wrapped around the DJ who was leading the line while I wondered if his hair was actually tattooed on his head. ( I think it was). I learned a secret about my sister (after one too many cocktails on her part) and it seems we both have the same secret. It was an unexpected, but sweet moment.
The best part of the wedding was the Pastor who talked about having good manners with your spouse. He said of all the people in the world, your spouse is the one person you should always show good manners too. I saw alot of family members who wished their ex spouse was sitting by them to hear these words, as this is where many of us went wrong.
It was a night of regrets and memories of marriages that had sadly ended, when the love is still there. I now know I am not alone in this boat.
But mostly, it was a night of hope for the new bride and groom.
It is strange the power music has on us. How as a family when you hear a CCR song, you think of your niece and her father,(who danced together, while we all cried) or when Jail house Rocks comes they know I will be out there dancing. This is what families are. Memories, and a knowing of each other that goes unspoken.
A 12 year old girl who jumped 10 feet higher than me caught the boughet and I'm hoping we don't have to wait that long until the next family wedding........
jb