Monday, March 25, 2019
The first memory I have of a wedding was Frank and Jean's when I was seven years old. It seems I only saw them a few more times in the following years and then I moved away from New York after high school, never to return. Even so, that day has always stayed with me.
Jean was so beautiful, luminous really, in her white dress and veil, the sun shining on her face as they ran from the church to the car. Frank was a larger than life figure to us kids. We could always count on him to toss us over the furniture and across the lawn, but that day he was so nervous that even a seven year old could sense something just a little off. Later, I remember them laughing and laughing. The party was fabulous and the cousins of that era ran wild the entire reception. It was such a defining childhood experience!
I hope their life together was a reflection of the joy and promise of that beautiful day, that the many years since were kind to them both and that all the children and grand children who arrived in their turn had the opportunity to experience the special beauty that began that long ago summer afternoon.
