Nancy’s daughter became a wife recently.  My parents and I traveled to Chase City, Virginia for the wedding.  She was beautiful, the wedding lovely, the food delicious.  The marriage took place southern style – in front of a huge magnolia tree on the front lawn of an impressive Victorian mansion.

She wore Nancy’s wedding gown and had a photo of her nearby.  I knew she couldn’t be there but she would have really wanted to be.  As I watched her daughter become a wife, I felt her right next to me.  I felt her hold my hand and whisper to me about what a beautiful bride her daughter was and how proud she felt.  In life, Nancy always came and went in a whirlwind.  It’s sort of still the same – she surprises me with her presence and just as quickly leaves.

I never thought her children looked much like her – they are beautiful but not in the exotic, dark skinned way of their mother.  Still, I see her in them – Jessica especially.  I can’t quite put my finger on how she looks like Nancy.  It is ethereal but unmistakeable.

I watched this young woman deeply in love marry a man equally as in love and my heart was in my throat, still is.  I prayed to every God I could think of to bless this woman, this marriage.

Aside from beauty and intelligence which she inherited from her Mom, Jessica also inherited a house.  This house is full of precious things collected over the years by her husband’s grandmother.  She gave me the tour – showed me the silver and teapots, the statues and vases.  One mandolin playing, pantaloon wearing dancer caught my eye.

My precious thing now lives in that house and one of hers lives in my house.  I pray the gods bless both homes.