The Cross

It's been a busy month with vacations and Justin's wedding. Today there will be no post from Mom's journal, but this post has everything to do with her. June 21, 2011 my son Justin married his true love Briana Maughan. An hour before the wedding ceremony was to begin Justin approached me and pulled a large silver cross on a silver chain from his pocket. This is the story he told me about the cross, which I had never heard before. 20 years ago or so, Justin gave this cross to his Grandma Dolores as a gift. He must have known how important Jesus was in her life. A few years later she passed away and the cross was put around her neck at the funeral. Afterwards Frank returned the cross to Justin and Justin held on to it for the past 18 years. Justin and his grandma loved each other so much. He asked if I would wear it on his wedding day. Tears flowed freely. Several members of my family made the trip for the wedding. My brother Gary and his son Austin flew into Sonoma County Airport from Los Angeles, my Aunt Cathy and Uncle Gene, who is Mom's brother, drove up from Pasadena, and mom's husband Frank drove from Lincoln, California, with his new wife Carol, who knew mom since grammar school. I had not seen Frank in many years, and since reading mom's journal and posting this blog, I appreciated more than ever what a good man he is and how good he was to mom those last few years. It was so good to see him. At one point in the reception, Justin's dad, Briana's dad, and members of their wedding party took a microphone and spoke about how much Justin and Briana mean to them and how happy they are for them. Finally Frank approached me and said "We've heard enough from these men, we need to hear from the women in Justin's life." I said I was too shy to speak in front of an audience (about 85 people) and Frank said he would go up with me. I introduced Frank and then told the story of the cross I wore around my neck, how Justin had given it to his grandma and then to me to wear at the wedding. I told Justin it broke my heart that Grandma Dolores could not be here on his wedding day, then congratulated him and Briana. No one spoke after that.

Justin, I know I cannot fill your grandma's shoes, but I hope this will be the beginning of a deeper relationship between us, and that someday when you and Briana have children, I can be that special Grandma to them. I love you so much, and I am so proud of you and the man you have become. You have chosen a beautiful woman to be your wife, and I wish you a lifetime of happiness together.