Emerald Greene Parsons: Greene Publishing, Inc.
This past Saturday, Oct. 14, my youngest daughter, Brooke, became the wife of Clint Riley. They were married at the Quail Branch Lodge, in Lake Park, Ga., at 4 p.m. with a full dinner and reception there at the Lodge. What a beautiful venue it was.
The last few months have been a whirlwind of emotions for me. For the last ten months, we have planned and have been so excited about the approaching wedding. I have enjoyed all the activities that came with having a bride-to-be: wedding dress shopping, flower shopping, planning bridal parties, picking out colors, finding the photographer and caterers, etc. etc. etc. I have lived it and loved it.
Be that as it may, you’ve got to understand that a couple of years ago, when Cheltsie got married, I had found myself becoming very sad, very often. It didn’t take me long to realize my sadness was stemming from my “little girl/first born” getting married and moving out of my house.
So, when Brooke announced she was getting married … I figured the second time around would be easier. It definitely was not!
You see, this time I was losing my “last one/my baby;” I was about to be all alone! All those same sad emotions surfaced again. Only this time I knew when Brooke moved out I would have no children left (at home.) That’s a whole new level of sadness! My life, as I knew it, was about to change dramatically. The “empty nest syndrome” kicked in, and it kicked in hard! The tears have been flowing for the past several months and haven’t stopped quite yet.
In spite of my ‘not wanting to let go’ moments, the wedding was absolutely gorgeous and perfect!
What a beautiful bride she was! Absolutely stunning.
The wedding ceremony went great; vows were exchanged, and Brooke and Clint became husband and wife. What a sense of pride and joy I had. Several tears were shed; both happy tears and sad tears, but mostly happy and excited because I knew how happy and excited she was to begin her new chapter of life.
It’s a proud moment to watch your child get married. From the day they are born, we raise our children, to the best of our ability. We try our best to raise them in a Godly way and to teach them right from wrong. We try to protect them and to help them make the right decisions. We try to give them the knowledge and courage to stand on their own two feet when we cannot be with them. The most that we can hope for is that when they are “on their own” some of that guidance, and knowledge, sticks with them and that they then can make the best decisions/choices for themselves. I hope that God looked down at me, Saturday afternoon, and said, “Well done!”
My prayers are that Brooke and Clint will have a wonderful, love-filled life together. To know to keep God first and each other second and that all other things will fall into their rightful place. Life together can be such a fun-filled adventure.
This milestone is now behind her and Clint. However, there are so many more milestones ahead of them. I know they will do great in this world and will always have the strength and confidence to tackle anything that lies ahead of them. Together – they can conquer the world!