Witnessing Love and a message from above...

Last night was my step-sister Megan's wedding. It's so cliche to say 'aww they're so in love' 'you could just tell how happy they are,' etc etc. It's true though, I'd put them up there with the top 3 weddings where you could feel love in the air. There's obviously love in the air at every wedding, they just kick it up a notch. Megan is one of the most amazing people I know. There's only one other person that I know that I would put on her level. You never hear anything mean come from her. She's always smiling and uplifting. She's just radiant, and not just on her wedding day. Her mother is amazing and her grandmother was amazing and she's taken their best qualities and has become the type of person we strive to be. She met Josh at the church his parents own and they haven't looked back since. She looked gorgeous on her special day and truly deserves all the happiness Josh brings her.

I was nervous about the day knowing my dad would be missing. My dad had been in Megan's life since she was 8 and I know she thought of him as a second father. I can't say it wasn't hard to see another man walk behind my step-mom to her seat at the start of the wedding, but I understand. Seeing her move on reminds me that life goes on. The world doesn't stop in hard times. We have to be strong, miss our loved ones and keep going. Judy has always been a phenomenal woman, whom I have always looked up to. Even though this situation is difficult for me to handle, she's teaching me, guiding me, even though I'm not completely on board; I get it. Why would she just lay down and die because her husband is gone; taken too soon? There's a lesson to be learned from it.

At the reception Megan shared an amazing story with me, that taught me something even more important. Judy had a dream the night before the wedding, she said she was sitting in the sanctuary all dressed up and ready for the wedding to begin. My father walked up and sat next to her, in his suit and tie freshly shaved and his hair cut, ready for the wedding. Judy was shocked and cried out "what are you doing here?!" he simply said "you have no idea what I had to go through to get here."

I couldn't hold the tears. It reminded me of the dream I had right before I graduated college, where I was a little girl sitting on his lap and he told me how proud he was of me. I believe these types of dreams are real. Real messages. I've had other dreams about my dad but only one like that. It reminded me that Judy loved my dad, not that I didn't think she did that's ridiculous, but she did and she still does, and she always will. But she let go, not because she wanted to but because she had to. She's been through so much in the last 3 years and she deserved that message from my dad, maybe even needed it. The message wasn't only for her, but for Megan, me and anyone else who loved him. Megan was so happy to hear that story on her special day, and she didn't get sad and depressed about his physical absence but felt blessed about his obvious presence. She helps me feel that way too :)