I Cried When I Saw The Groom

I’ve heard of people crying when they first see the bride – but never the groom. Yet this past weekend, that’s exactly what happened to me. I got choked up when I saw the groom and the tears started flowing. I felt quite relieved when the bride began her procession down the aisle so I could compose myself and try to salvage my remaining make-up.

I’ve thought a lot about this and wondered what had caused such a gut wrenching feel of emotions – both happy and sad. I knew it was more than just a reminder that my boys were growing up. I started to think about this groom. He was like another son to me. He (and three others that were my boy’s closest friends) spent countless hours at our house over the years– most weekends for sure. I realized for the first time that even my kid’s friends had been a type of support system for me. After all, I probably spent more hours with them than my own best friends. Now, this beautiful wedding was a gentle reminder that as life changes, so do our support systems. In fact, most of the parents I’ve spent countless hours with for the past 25 years at school events and the ball fields, are moving on with their own lives as their young adult children are doing the same. It’s not that we don’t like each other, but rather that we now no longer have the commonality and community of our kids drawing us together.