I would now like to introduce...

On May 18th of this year, my little brother, Stephen, and his long-term girlfriend, Ashley, tied the knot. They were married in a civil ceremony at city hall in Newport News, Virginia, just outside of their base. My brother called, elated, and told me of his news, and I wished him well, and of course spoke to Ashley to welcome her to the family. He then swore me to secrecy. The news was not supposed to go beyond me and Shawn.

I am terrible of keeping secrets, so a part of me felt a little trepidation at this responsibility. The way I usually keep a secret is by pretending whatever it was never happened, and banishing any thought of it from my mind. But I wanted to think of my newly married brother, I was excited and wanted to shout the news from the rooftops.

Part of me was okay with the whole secret business. I had helped guide Stephen and Ashley through their choice of how, when and where to get married. It was important to both of them that they get married before she shipped to Iraq for her six-month tour of duty, but they didn’t want to rush into such an important decision. The fact that they were so carefully considering their options only proved to me how serious they were taking their union, and how much they loved each other. I gave them my unequivocal blessing, and it felt really great that my brother and his fiancée had asked me for my advice. It was important to me that my brother trusted me, and that my opinion was valuable to him.

***

At weddings, the DJ always announces the bridal party couple by couple, playing some funky music as each pair dances into the reception. The high point of this event is the last couple—the bride and groom—who enter the room to riotous applause. Since my brother and his new bride haven’t had a reception yet, I thought it would be appropriate for me to introduce them to you all.

(Hold on while I put on my Jock Jams CD.)

“And now, I would like to introduce to you, your bride and groom, Ashely and Stephen Overcast!”



I love you guys.