Made of Honor

My sister got married two weeks ago. Since her engagement in October, everything happened so fast. 

One of the memories that always sticks out from our childhood is one Halloween when my sister was a bride. She was probably 8 years old or younger. I am surprised my parents allowed that for her costume, but they allowed me to dress up as rigor mortis that year so ...

I remember her being a bride so clearly when she was a kid and it was just make believe. Then I blinked and everything was real. Being my sister's maid of honor was the most honorable thing  have ever done. I will probably never lead troops into battle or save continents with some grand discovery, but at least I can say there was a time and place where I did my duty and did it well, and someone else's life was richer for it, even if it went by very quickly. I struggled with my Maid of Honor speech, but one night my sister sent me a quote from ee cummings, and the rest just came naturally. Below is my speech. Thank you, Katie, for choosing me and for being a wonderful muse.

"My wise sister shared a quote with me from one of my favorite poets that I had never heard before: 

'To be nobody but yourself in a world that doing its best to make you everybody else is to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight.'

Katie, I can't tell you how proud I am of you for being yourself, for fighting this longstanding battle with the world and in so doing have won the hearts of your friends and family, and the love of a good man.

You might not realize it, but you have actually given me the best advice throughout the years. I have learned from you what it means to really be somebody and that love is always worth fighting for. I urge you and David to continue to be yourselves, despite this battlefield called life; that you become better versions of the person you fell in love with. Sometimes it may feel like it is only you fighting against the world, but remember that the two of you are in this together. And I truly believe that together, you can take anything on."

Cheers!