Only one more day as Barbara Sanders.
As of April 2, 1999, I would be Barbara Edwards.
Or, better yet. . .Mrs. Odell Edwards.
My heart was so filled with happiness and anticipation!My sister, Cynthia, and her son, David, had arrived from Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
It was wonderful to see them again.
My sister and I have always been really close.
To have her there to support me on this momentous day
was a gift I would always treasure.
I smiled as I thought about seeing Odell that evening.
It had been almost a week since we had seen each other.
Yes, we actually had stayed with our agreement
to be apart the last week.
We didn't say we wouldn't talk on the phone, of course!
How else would we have survived?
When my Dad and his wife arrived from Arkansas,
I knew something wasn't quite right with my Dad.
I learned that he had come down with some kind of
stomach flu, and was feeling generally miserable.
I felt so badly for him. Driving all that way
to walk his daughter down the aisle.
And being so sick! I prayed God would touch him.
The hours flew by, and before I knew it, it was about time
to leave for rehearsal. My wonderful groom arrived to take us
to the chapel. He looked so good to me!
It felt like we had been apart for a month when he took me in his arms and kissed me.
I mean really, really kissed me!
Not seeing each other for several days had definitely enhanced our meeting!
I was so glad that week was over! Although busy, I had missed
my guy so much! And I could tell he had missed his girl!
We met the rest of the wedding party there.
The ones who arrived earlier than we did. And, I might add,
enjoyed rubbing it in that we were a few minutes late!
Hey, give us a break, okay?
It was a very long kiss!
You know how wedding rehearsals go? Ours was no exception.
There was all the normal craziness and carrying on.
But we finally got down to business and knowing that dinner was to follow was a pretty strong incentive!
Soon we were headed to the restaurant chosen by my groom.
Great food, lots of laughter and everyone talking at once.
It could be said a good time was had by all!
Well. . .almost all!
Dear ole Dad spent dinner time crashed in his van.
Trust me, my Dad has always possessed a healthy appetite.
As well as an amazing ability to eat an almost illegal portion of desserts!
For him to miss this special dinner was very sad!
While Dad's being so sick was definitely a bummer,
I couldn't say I wasn't happy, excited, thrilled and ecstatic beyond belief!
In one day I would marry my best friend in the world.
The holder of my heart.
I knew without a doubt that God was smiling down on us and that His blessing would be on our marriage.
In short, God would be the center of our happy home!
It was late, probably close to midnight, before Odell and I kissed the last time as
an engaged couple. Saying goodnight wasn't hard because we knew that within a matter of hours we
would be together forever. Our next kiss would follow those beautiful words,
'I now pronounce you husband and wife.
You may kiss the bride!'
Amen.
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