Photo courtesy of www.stephanieelizabethimages.com
This weekend, I attended the wedding of my daughter’s good friend. My tears welled up with the joy and beauty of it: the ceremony’s forest chapel setting, the gorgeous sprite of a bride, the handsome and smitten groom. My lovely daughter was one of the resplendent bridesmaids.
After the best man and maid of honor’s speeches, the bride’s father came up to the microphone, pinned his music to the stand and positioned his ukulele. He acknowledged how scary this performance was, and admitted that in grade school he was advised to “fake it” by his choir teacher. He introduced “Where There Is Love” with apologies and deference to composer and performer Noel Paul Stookey of Peter, Paul and Mary fame. He noted that “He” in the song was written with a capital H, thus referring to the Greater Power.
The lyrics were heart stopping. The father of the bride’s voice was rich in timbre, yet atonal. He strummed simple, proficient cords on the uke.
He persisted. He conquered.
He received a heartfelt, resounding standing ovation.
What a feat of courage!
What a testament to love, for it conquered fear and any lack of innate ability. It overcame ego, reticence, and apprehension.
What a testament to the touching love of a father for his daughter, to have risked so much!
I am in awe, and I am inspired, and I will think twice before holding back for any reason, ever again.
Father of the bride, I honor you. To my mind, you were perfection.
