So my best friend just recently got married, and it was seriously the most perfect day. There was so much talk and planning and coordination, worry, panic, and then happiness, so much happiness. Nathan and I have only been friends for three years, and so when he asked me to be his best man, I was honored, and completely overjoyed.
But because he is my best friend, I wasn't going to let him get married without a few practical jokes along the way. Soon after their engagement I knew I wanted to do something the day of the wedding, and after thinking and plotting for quite some time, I decided I would hijack their first look. I discussed my plan with Tori before hand, and after I had her approval moved forward with the preparations.
It all worked out beautifully. We of course all got dressed for pictures first, and then ate some lunch and rehearsed a little dance we had put together for the bride. And then she arrived at the house, and in all of the excitement I rushed away to get changed. I had the dress I was going to wear hidden in a closet that I knew he wouldn't find it in all prepped and ready.
And then the moment came. He was standing on the other side of some colorful wildflowers at the backside of the property, and I was all decked out in white. And then...well pictures actually do it better justice.
Poor sucker thinks I'm his future wife...
At this moment I asked him, "so, are you ready to do this thing?"
He was totally surprised.
"do you like my dress?"
He then proceeded to chase me at a full speed run across the yard, which let me tell you, is quite challenging with a chapel length train.
It was such a happy day, full of so many beautiful moments. I cried so much. Seriously you don't even know. Some happy tears, others sad tear, but either way there was a lot of them.
You know the gift of a best friend is something so incredible and special, that I think it can really only exist with one or two people. Nathan and I have a bond that we have both said is closer than brothers, and I know will always be there, even as we grow up and things change.
I was never opposed to my best friend getting married, it was something that I knew he wanted very badly, and quite honestly needed. However, I was opposed to my best friend getting married. Let me explain. The opposition that I had towards my best friend getting married, was completely selfish. Because the dynamic would change. Hanging out and "being bros" would no longer be a priority, just because of how life works. And since I wasn't getting married, I felt like I was losing the one person I could talk to about everything. Now I would just always be worried about, well I don't want to crowd up on their married time, or I'm single still and he's not so what are we going to talk about. I wanted things to stay the way they were. When it was just the two of us most of the time, doing whatever we wanted, talking about everything, and having the time of our lives. But no matter how badly I wanted things to stay the same, it wasn't changing the fact that he was still getting married. And so I did it, I accepted the fact that Nathan was getting married to the most incredible woman, and tried to embrace this is part of growing up, because we can't stay in one place forever.
But see that's the great part about having a best friend, is the fact that I was able to tell him all of this, and for him to understand. Eventually we decided though, that sure it was not going to be easy. That trying to still be best friends and find new common ground was going to be tough, but that we were going to put the effort in, and make it work. Which is truly what a genuine friendship is all about.
It has taught me a lesson about accepting change, and the fact that something is always changing in life, and often it is beyond our control. But just being upset, and resisting the change doesn't really help things. In fact it makes it worse. And learning to adapt, cope, and evolve with the change is really the best thing to do, no matter how painful it can be. Yes it may take time, and we all need grace to get through the transition, but at the end of the day learning to accept it, is so worth it.
So yes, I am so very happy for my best friend, and his incredible new wife. Tori is the best, and I love her dearly. She is a perfect match for Nathan, and I know they are going to be a superstar couple. So here's to love and marriage, to best friends, and to accepting change.
Comments