Page 257 - Reason To Sing by Kelita Haverland

Chapter Forty-Three

will be certain traditions intact for our wedding. I want to be
fair. Our neighbours Joe and Ruth agree to stand up for us. I
borrow Ruth’s wedding dress and it fits me perfectly. The man
responsible for us meeting, John Allen Cameron, agrees to walk
me down the aisle. Gord and I have written a love song, and I
will sing it to him during the ceremony. Sure, it’s a bit cheesy
but we are very much in love.
Nobody from my family attends the wedding. Perhaps they
think Here she goes again! The truth is I don’t know and I’m
not bothered. Living so far from family for so many years, I’ve
become used to very few visits. I am sad my sister Vian isn’t
coming. But she has so many struggles in her life right now,
in addition to being a full-time nurse and mother to two kids,
with another on the way. I’ve come to accept I can’t expect much
from her. It doesn’t mean I love her any less. Probably even more
because I hate the horrible situation she finds herself in. I still
worry about my baby sister.
We have a beautiful, simple candlelight ceremony on
Canadian Thanksgiving weekend. Sunday is chosen so that our
musician friends can attend, as everyone will be working on
Saturday night.
So many of our church family from Melrose witness the
happy celebration. They embraced us that fateful day we walked
through the doors. We’re grateful to be a part of an exceptional
group of Godly people. They have prayed for us, invested time
in getting to know us and modeled what a loving Christian
family looks like. We love them and they love us.
After the ceremony and stand-up reception at the church,
a small group gathers for a lovely dinner at the Bradgate Arms
Hotel. Afterwards Gord and I head up to our room for a
romantic celebration à deux. Our honeymoon suite is only steps
away. Thank God, because I am beat. Weddings are hard work!

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