I realize that the timing of many reading this whisper will not be near the day when it occurred, yet I want, need to take you to the scene. It is the week of my daughter’s wedding. I have double confirmed that everything is ready but I will stay nearby just in case. I cannot explain it other than it is something that one father feels compelled to do.
I suspect that I am increasingly nervous. My part in the overall scheme of things is very small. But when it is my part, walking her down the aisle, being present as she turns away from my arms into his, and in offering the first toast to the newlyweds, I am certain that witnesses will sense the birthing process of unforgettable memories.
While I am not the focus in anything, I sure can mess it up!
So now I wait, but not just anywhere. San Francisco, Novato, Napa, Sonoma, and drives through Marin County are on my agenda. Stunning views, fantastic food, and conversations with those I love fill my days. The weather is near perfect. The late summer, early fall experience of inhaling the smell of the vineyards, pacific ocean winds, and man’s work with nature is soul renewing. There is so much more than I wish I could do while I am here.
For now I will simply be present, open, and engaged. This is my greatest gift to those around me. In thinking about it, it includes a willingness, desire, and thirst to hear their stories. It also includes an openness to experience life with them in their ways. My imagination did not go far enough.
As I try to take it in I am reminded of an old writer’s observation. It sounded simple, “Your temple, High God, is Jerusalem; kings bring gifts to you.” (Psalm 68.29) I realize that it is anything but. The grandeur, the amazing people and food, the experiences are overwhelming!
This, however you want to describe it, is priceless. One cannot buy it; life is a gift.
