A wonderful Coffey wedding

How often do you get the chance to see one of the people that you've known and cared about for the majority of your life, someone that you've always cared about, someone who you have grown and changed with through thick and thin, how often do you get to see a person like that on one of the happiest days of their life, and be able to share that with them? I was lucky enough to see my wonderful, long time friend Michelle get married and begin a new life with her wonderful husband. See it through my eyes



I have to admit though, there was a certain amount of strangeness that came across me when I saw her start to come down the aisle. I immediately had a flash of images come over me - seeing her as Alice from Alice in Wonderland in elementary school, to working and goofing off in the art room in high school, filming a senior video, to being a shoulder to cry on, to long late conversations catching up on each other's lives over coffee and chocolate. It all flashed over me, and I finally really realized what was happening. And it was beautiful. In that moment, I was honored to not only be there for her wedding, and be able to experience that with her, but to have had her in my life, and to hope to continue to as the years go by.



And very humorously, about 5 seconds after the picture above was taken, she ran down the aisle with her new husband and looked at me and said (with a goofy smile on her face), "Well that was easy!" :D

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It was really interesting - her mom was crying after the wedding (out of absolute happiness) and I hugged her and said, "I almost did the same thing" (meaning the crying, which I almost did do, when I saw her come down the aisle). She responded, "It doesn't change how I feel about you, you're still my boy", taking it as me saying that I had almost married her! Which definitely surprised me. Then her father came over and said, "I only wish I had another daughter for you." I do love them very much, they're practically another family for me.

It really got me to thinking, though - about what I want out of my life - where I want to go, what kind of a person I could see myself with. And really thinking about it, I've realized that I have no idea. There are few people I have felt that way about, each one totally different than the last. And Michelle is one of the people that I've always regretted doing what I did to when we were younger. I wish things had gone differently, and I can't believe I hurt her. There are often times when I wonder what would have happened had I not broken up with her for such poor reasons. Would we have ended up together? Would things have been better? Worse? I really have no idea, but I'm glad that at least in this path that we came down, she found happiness. I love her very much and I'm glad that happened. We'll see what the future holds. I go forward with no expectations.

I love you Shell, and wish you and Brandon all the best in the world - here's to many many years of your happiness together :)

Backdated post - completed 12/06/07 12:31:00 AM