What A Beautiful Day

There are moments in life that affect us greatly, they hit us deep in our core, they touch our souls, and sometimes they change the way we view the world around us.

This weekend I had the pleasure of experiencing a moment like that. And while you had to be there to truly understand the depth of the emotions involved, I will do my best to try and capture them through words.

For the first time in my life I cried tears of joy. Pure, raw, happiness. And not for myself, but for my best friend. I didn't know that kind of happiness existed, and I don't know how to describe it except to say that it is an emotion far deeper than one I've ever felt. When you think about the moments that will make us happiest in life we naturally would think of ones that would be self serving. What makes this one even more memorable is that I wasn't happy for myself but for someone else.

I cannot begin to describe the reasons why I am so happy for Danielle and Mark except to say that they are two of the most exceptional people I've ever met and my life is far greater because they are part of it. The past year has been extremely difficult with the passing of Danielle's brother. As her best friend I wanted this special day to be perfect, and as such I paid attention to every little detail. Despite my devoted attention, there was one thing that was out of my control but I believed deeply that God would come through.

Friday night I was talking to Danielle and told her that I believed her day would be complete, that Travis would be there. I told her he would be there in the sunlight, in the soft melodies of the music, but most of all he would be there in our hearts. What happened Saturday was nothing short of miraculous. The weather was far from perfect, it was overcast and misty out, and we'd yet to see any real sunlight all day. Yet, as the entrance song started and Danielle took her first steps down the aisle the sun came out over the horizon, and only over the Casa. As Danielle continued down the aisle it disappeared almost as quickly as it first appeared. A few minutes later as the Priest was talking about the importance of marriage suddenly the ocean went silent. Not for long, maybe 15 seconds, but for that brief moment in time no waves crashed, the world went silent. There is not a doubt in my mind that was Travis, watching his big sister from up above. God works in mysterious ways sometimes. And while the signs of Travis' presence on Saturday are no consolation for him being taken from us here on earth, it was the greatest gift that could have been given on that day.

The wedding was perfect, despite some minor setbacks in weather and last minute changes. The bride was absolutely stunning. The groom was as handsome as ever. And the love shined so radiantly that it penetrated everyone in the room. I am still in awe of the entire event. I thought I knew what true love looked like, I thought I'd felt it before in the past, but what I witnessed is something far greater than anything I've felt. We all felt it, and we were all touched deeply by the magic of it all.

I think I'm pretty lucky to have a best friend set such a good example for me and I can only hope that one day I am fortunate enough to find a love like she has. One that is kind, caring, trusting, and deep. I want a man to look at me and know he doesn't want to live a day without me. I want to be someone's hopes and dreams. I want to be their world. I want my best friend and my soulmate. I want it all and I'd love to find it sooner rather than later. But I tell you what, after seeing how good it really can be, the last thing I want is to settle for anything less than everything. A lifetime is far too long to be anything short of perfect.