Wedding Day

Chaos reigns. I’m down here just a little ways out of Chattanooga where, in just a few hours, my little sister Grace is going to get married. It is hot. Deathly hot. Even the Atlantans seem to be reeling from it. People have gathered from far and wide. Members of our family have travelled in from Ottawa, Toronto and even as far afield as Vancouver. Many of us have rented a series of cabins in Cloudland Canyon National Park—a stunningly beautiful area of north-western Georgia just a few minutes from the Tennessee border. So this is a family reunion of sorts and it is just wonderful to see family members I haven’t seen for a year or two. Grace will be married in a church about a half hour from here and the reception will be held at Covenant College where she and my other sisters went to school.

Aileen was put in charge of making up the bridesmaids bouquets along with the bouquets for the flower girls. With two flower girls and ten bridesmaids it was no small task. She finished that just a few minutes ago and, for the first time today, we have just a few moments of downtime. In ten minutes we’ll have to call the kids in and get them dressed up. My son is the ringbearer and my daughter is one of the bridesmaids, so they have to dressed and ready to go on time for photos which will take place before the ceremony.

And now duty is calling and I have to get going. In just a couple of hours my third (and final!) sister will be married.