Sorry for the lag in blogging once again – I was sick for about 18 days, and then out of town for 4 days, so much of October’s planned blogging got put on the back burner. I certainly needed to mention this entry, though – it was 18 years in the making.

Back in early August, I got an e-mail from Mom that had a subject of “Wedding.” I figured a cousin or someone was getting married and Mom wanted me to know. I was rather happily surprised when I opened the e-mail and found out that Mom and her long-time (and long-suffering) other half, Marc, were getting married on September 10th. She said she would understand if I could not be there with the start of school and all, but that was just silly. I would not have missed this wedding for the world. I love weddings, and I like Marc very much, and it’s my Mom – c’mon!

Meredith and I got permission to miss school both Thursday and Friday of that week in September, and we made our way out to Chicago after school on Wednesday the 9th. It was uneventful, with the highlight being the traditional stop at Dairy Queen near South Bend. We got to Shannon and Jo’s place late, but stayed up to see Shannon’s excellent DVD slide show of the pictures of their summer trip to Maine. The pictures were quite fantastic, and Shannon chose some fun music to go along with the pictures.

Thursday came about and we spent much of the morning puttering. Shannon made brunch (French toast) while Jo ran errands. We all took our turns in the sole bathroom in the apartment, and got spiffed up and headed down to the University of Chicago with Jo driving. We got there in plenty of time, and only a few people were there yet.

The small chapel that Mom and Mar chose was beautiful. It could only hold about 50-60 people, but the seats were carved wood, the stone was classic gray, and the altar was backed by a giant stained glass window. It was a great venue. The place started filling up, and finally we got word that Mom and Marc had arrived. We went outside to say hey, and escorted them in a side door so Marc could go to the front of the chapel and Mom could go to the foyer.

Mom went to great lengths to make sure her children were involved in her wedding. Shannon and I got to walk Mom in (a task I apparently sucked at – Shannon and I went at different speeds with me going faster, so Mom got kind of cockeyed). Kelly got to be the Matron of Honor (I’m sure she’ll be happy with her being called “Matron”). Jolene and Meredith got to read poems; Jolene read a poem by Maya Angelou that Mom had requested. Meredith read three sonnets (Shakespeare, Barrett Browning, and ee cummings) and (at my suggestion) a poem about husbands by Ogden Nash (he he!). The officiating bishop did a great job of officiating a dignified service, while still having a few moments of levity that showed how well he knew Mom and Marc. I was very pleased at the liturgy of the service – I’m not sure what one it was, but it was very sound from a Christian perspective.

Marc seemed nervous – that made me smile. Marc is usually very much in control and usually very quick to help with the levity of a gathering. His being nervous was wonderfully honest, and it was a nice testament to his feelings. Mom looked very elegant in a simple blue dress, and the space was small enough that the service was easy to hear.

The service lasted about 30 minutes, and then we all went outside to chat. The World’s Cutest Niece was quite happy to be playing with a balloon of a butterfly, and the Wold’s Cutest Nephew was very well behaved in his car/travel seat. It was good to see Kelly and Paul and the family – we do not get to see them so much as we get to see Shannon and Jo and Mom and Marc.

  After some pictures were taken (I actually did not take any during the ceremony since I was in it), we dispersed to go to a nearby Mediterranean restaurant that Mom and Marc had reserved. As an aside, when I got out of the car in my suit and fedora, a man outside the restaurant told me I looked as if I was a magazine cover. That made me very pleased. Not surprisingly, the restaurant’s food was ample and excellent, and was served up in four courses. Mom and Marc do know food, and I was happy to share in their good taste.

  After an excellent meal and some visiting with people, we headed out to the car to head northward. We were going back to Shannon and Jo’s. Mom and Marc and Kelly and Paul and family, as well as a few others, were headed to Mom and Marc’s apartment nearby. Mom and company were planning on heading to the Michigan home the next day, but we decided that we get to Chicago so rarely that we would stay in the city for a couple of days to see a few sights.

It was very much a lovely wedding, worth waiting 18 years for.