I attended the wedding of a dear family friend last
night. This child, whom I used to
babysit, no longer is a child, but a beautiful young woman starting her own
life as a newlywed.
The wedding was short and sweet-the reception was not. Talk about fun. We danced, ate, drank, danced, talked,
squealed, hugged, danced, and reminisced the entire night, surrounded by those
many familiar faces that I will always know no matter how long I am gone from
my childhood home.
These people helped to shape me into the person I am
today. They gave me such a sense of
community and love. We grew up at CUMC and that church truly was our family.
We kids are all grown up now with kids of our own, but I felt like a kid
again being in their presence. I just
slid right back into my role as Paula and Fred’s daughter, or one of the Inman girls, just as if no time
had passed.
If my parents had not chosen Cabot as our home, we would not
have known any of them. They were church leaders, my piano teacher, family friends, dad's patients, community business people, and Sunday School teachers. I babysat their children, lifeguarded for
them at the country club summer after summer, and experienced the ups and downs
of life through their watchful eyes. I
know their stories, their personalities, their strengths and weaknesses. I know their moms and dads and
grandparents. I have seen them get
married and I have seen some of them die. I now realize that they were so
significant to my life while I was learning who I was supposed to become.
Everyone has childhood memories. Some are unremarkable, but mine are so
intertwined with my being. I was shaped
by them and still I look to the most special people for guidance and
reassurance, especially now that one of the most significant people in my life
is no longer here.
It's not as easy as it was 30 years ago. Things are not as safe and we don’t live in a small town. I do hope,
though, that I can give me kids the same important relationships that they will
always cherish, even when they are busy adults with kids of their own. My kids will take piano. They will sing in the church choir, join the youth group and play handbells. They will get to try all of the things they
want to try so that they can confidently make the best decisions for their
futures.
To be part of the wedding last night was one of the
highlights of my year. Being considered part of such a precious family is one of the
greatest gifts God has ever given me. I
know my sisters agree that it is so humbling to share their past.
Ultimately, we have our parents to thank for that. They chose our community. They chose which friendships to
cultivate. They chose to give us every
opportunity to try everything we wanted to try. I am so thankful, yet I feel undeserving. How did I get to be so lucky? Even today.
I still wonder and am truly moved by God’s gifts. I believe that my past is one of His gifts
and I will always be in awe of it.
