~/notes/emily_wedding/fotb_toast_FINAL.html

2019/08/09 - S.French - With comments from Emily and Anne
2019/08/13 - S.French - Updated with Anne's comments
2019/08/20 - S.French - Updated.  Final ?
2019/08/21 - S.French - Final!
2019/09/10 - S.French - Okay, I updated it a bit after reading it
                        aloud to Anne.  She always has good
			suggestions.

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Emily and Andrew get married September 15, 2019, Sunday, 6pm.

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Hello, my name is Stewart French.
I am Emily's uncle.

Anne and I have known Emily since she was born.  I have vivid memories
of her early days growing up, her and her sister Mia playing in the
snow, staying with us, going for walks to the playground, pool
parties, Thanksgivings and Christmases.  Mostly she grew up in Houston
and we only got to see them a few times a year, since we live near
Dallas.

In 2016 Emily stayed with us for 2 months.  She was completing a
clinical affiliation at a Physical Therapy center near our house while
working on her doctorate.  We had conversations about all sorts of
things, and we started noticing a "House of Mirrors" thing happening.

Emily and I would often think the same things, occasionally even saying
the same thing out loud at the same time.  It was common enough that
we discussed it several times, that we had such different backgrounds,
age and gender, educations.  Sometimes we would just look
at each other and snicker knowing the others thoughts.

And it still happens!  Anne and I were sitting at home back in March
this year and I brought up the idea that maybe Emily would need
someone to act in the role of Father-Of-The-Bride.  As we were
discussing it, the phone rang.  It was Emily wondering if I would be
interested in acting in this role!
It gave me goose bumps and I was honored to accept.

Anne and I have been married for 37 years during which I have
discovered a few things about being married that I'd like to share
with Emily and Andrew.

Marriage is an opportunity to get to know each other, and to grow and
change over the years.

Marriage is a safe place to de-stress from job and family pressures.
To kick off your shoes, put your feet up, have a glass of wine, fall
asleep watching episodes of Veronica Mars.

Marriage provides a life-long partner to help in making the big
decisions, jobs and locations, houses, children.

More generally, you together get to make a million decisions that,
over the years, will define who you are as individuals and as a
married couple.  Things like cars, cabinet knobs, shrubbery,
how to correctly fold kitchen towels (...you're doing it wrong).

Every big and little decision, over all the years, every discussion
about each of them, will define you.

And it's wonderful!

Anne and I have the most fun ever doing this stuff.

BTW, some of the most fun, the best memories, are of disasters, as
long as noone loses any fingers it's all good.
We can look around us and recognize and remember each and every little
decision, right and wrong, with appreciation and humor.

I can't imagine my life without Anne, without our marriage, and I hope
you have a similar experience.

So, here's my toast to Emily and Andrew.
For a long, fun, complex life full of discussions and decisions,
learning to grow old gracefully together.

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end