My sister-in-law, Anne, is 42 years old. David Stott, her husband, is 34, I think. It's nice to be old enough that age difference doesn't matter. If she had tried to marry him when she was 24...well, that would have been a different story. It is the first marriage for both of them. His family loves her and the entire Hertzler Clan loves him. He is into big trucks and auto racing and has an excavating business. Anne's been working at HMEby Trailers for the past I don't know how many years and was recently laid off due to cut backs. This gave her time to get things in order for her wedding.
Anne asked all six of her sister-in-laws to be in her wedding. (She has 6 brothers and no sisters).
Her best friend, Rachel Dick was her maid of honor and David's sister, Tamara Martin was also a bridesmaid. The sister in laws were arranged in order of our husband's ages. I stood next to the maid of honor, Helen was next to me, then Linda, Debra, Janelle, Karen, and Tamara.
We all wore our own style of black satin dresses, shoes, and jewelry. We each carried a bouquet of brilliant multi-colored flowers.
Susan and her cousin, Bradley, were the guest registrars. Abigail and Serena handed out programs. Joseph, Tom, and Paul were ushers. Phil and Jim were groomsmen.
We had fun getting ready in the church nursery. We helped each other pin things together, do our hair and make-up, and calm nerves. Micah, my nephew, was a ring bearer. He had swimmers ear the day before and missed rehearsal. He seemed a bit drowsy as we got ready. His drowsiness made his long eye lashes seem even longer.
I walked down the aisle with Lonny Stoltzfus. He had lost his wife to cancer about a year and a half ago. He has a little girl. He was alot of fun and I had to tell him to stop smacking his gum. My dress was floor length and when we got to the stairs, I handed him my flowers, held up my dress so I could traverse the stairs, and then he handed the flowers back to me. It worked without a hitch. Phil escorted Karen, brother Joe's wife.
When Dad and Mom walked Anne down the aisle, they took their time and enjoyed each moment. When Mark Kraybill asked Dad,"Who gives this bride...?" He said with deliberation and deep emotion, "Her brothers, her mother, and I." Anne seemed to be falling backward right after that and Helen and I whispered to each other, 'Is she OK?' I asked Anne about it later and she said that dad had ahold of her veil and was accidentally pulling her head back. As Anne came up the stairs, she stepped on her dress on each step. When she got to the top, she gave the front of her dress a sharp kick and that got things in place and added some humor to the scene.
Paul played and sang a love song and Jim helped out by pulling out his harmonica and playing along with the chorus. It was great. The congregation sang," Holy, Holy, Holy." It was during the second verse that something happened to me. I took a look at Mom's face(she said later that it was something about the song that had moved her as well) and I heard the words, "Holy, holy, holy...though the darkness hide Thee...". Micah was standing in front of me and I missed his daddy, Johnny, so very much at that moment. I looked at Anne and she was so beautiful and lovely, and I don't know how to explain it all, but I was overcome with the bittersweet emotion of joy and sorrow all wrapped up in one moment. I began to cry. Helen's hand reached up to comfort me, and Linda saw her do that and she began to cry as did Helen and then Debra. Janelle got teary-eyed. I can only imagine what she was thinking. Karen was oblivious to all of it. (I found all this out later.) The groomsmen were not looking like they were holding it together either and Dave almost lost it at one point too. Annie smiled through her tears and said, 'It's OK" and " I love you." I could not believe that I had not stuffed a handkerchief somewhere. Michelle almost brought Kleenexes up for us during the prayer. Meanwhile, I sniffed and wiped my noise and thought about all the pictures being taken and how most of them would have me with my hand to my face. Oh, well. It is a fond memory now because it meant alot to the folks watching and Brandon was laughing at me. He's my sweet nephew who one time told Dave,"She's our crazy aunt. We keep her in Virginia."
The ceremony was short and sweet. Every time Mark detoured a bit from the scripture, Dave gave him a look, and things kept moving right along. We went in to the sanctuary at 11:05 and were out by 11:35. Anne and Dave greeted each person in each row as they dismissed the guests for the reception.
We took lots of pictures and then went to the reception in The Life Center of the church. ( We were married there some 27 years ago. It was the sanctuary of Hopewell back then. Phil helped build the Lifecenter and was working there during the 9/11 tragedy. )
When we walked in with our partners, Vince introduced Helen's partner as Lonny Stoltzfus. He was wrong. So, when we were introduced next, he said, "Annette Hertzler-sister-in-law of the bride, escorted by Lonny Stoltzfus, again." Everyone laughed.
When they introduced Anne and Dave, I got to 'do' my Aborigine's mating call as loudly as I wanted to. I forgot to mention that I had also 'done' it when Mark announced Anne and Dave as Mr. and Mrs. Dave Stott. I could tell by Dave's little grin at the time that he heard me.
There was an open mike and Phil sang, "Forever Young" like a prayer for them. (I turned to Janelle and said, 'That's Johnny." She nodded and smiled, knowing I meant that Johnny is forever young. ) Phil whistled the third verse like a professional and I was amazed. I said to him later, 'I didn't know that you could whistle like that.' He said, "Neither did I." Right after he was done whistling, he said, "Freeman-what are the words to the third verse?" Jim piped up,"May you grow up to be righteous..." Phil started singing. That's when we realized that he was whistling to buy himself some time, hoping that he'd remember the words. Tom and Helen's family sang a great song. They changed some words to a questionable country song. The words escape me at the moment, but they sang well and in parts and Helen's mom, Sandy Shantz, was trying to figure out how they could work it in their Sunday Service. John and Sandy pastor at Spring City.(We called Tom's family 'The Tom-Trapp Family Singers.') The Hertzler brothers got up and sang their own version of 'Stand by Your Man.' They had their arms around each other and were doing hand motions, etc. as they rendered, "Stand by Your Anne" to the smiling couple as they ate cake. The entire Mast Family-Ginny's siblings and spouses, sang the good old hymn, "Love at Home." They sang it at our wedding too.
I discovered my dress was a good dress to walk in and stand in, but sitting on that netting was more than I could bear. I refused to wear it again on Sunday morning. There were other reasons too, which I won't reveal at this time.
It was a wonderful wedding. I loved it best next to mine. And Annie and Dave are going to have a wonderful life together. I should mention, or maybe I shouldn't, that I am quite sure that they didn't save their first kiss for their wedding day. They did not come across as if that was a new experience for them. We had fun banging our bags of candy on the table and hitting our plastic spoons against the water pitchers. They were happy to comply.
I wonder if they do these things in other countries.
It just makes me proud to be an American.
It just makes me proud to be a Hertzler.
Amen.
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