By Daniel Dunaief
Even for a family that often lives in fifth gear, this weekend is especially frenetic.
First, on Saturday, we’re going to the wedding for a member of my wife’s extended family. We’ve been looking forward to this for more than a year.
Over 25 years ago, the bride attended our wedding in a white dress that, thanks to my mother in law, matched the one my wife wore. It’s so easy to recall her doe-eyed face when she and her younger brother set a speed record as they raced down the aisle.
We had asked the children on both sides to participate, which they did to the delight of our friends and family.
I’m sure memories of the bride and groom will play through many people’s minds during the wedding. As I sit with my wife, son and daughter, I will likely picture the four-year-old version of the bride, whom I used to throw as high and far as I could from the shallow end into the deep end in my father-in-law’s warm pool.
I’ll hold hands with my wife as we share in the excitement of this ceremony, which marks the beginning of their married life and is an extension of a high school friendship that has turned into something much deeper.
After the ceremony, we will reconnect with extended family, finding out recent details of their lives. We will hug and kiss the amazing grandmother, who has provided unconditional family support since the moment I met her close to 30 years ago.
Our niece will also be a major attraction, as she is the seven-months pregnant matron of honor and is the first member of the next generation on either side of our family who is expecting a child.
And then, ahhh, the dancing! My family will be on the dance floor as long as possible, throwing ourselves around as if we were in some kind of Zumba, aerobics, bodies-in-motion session.
My shirt will become a much darker color as I sweat through it, and our daughter will somehow know the words to just about every song the band plays.
As the party winds towards its conclusion, we will continue moving and cheering, looking to squeeze every last drop out of this wedding.
The next day, we’ll amble out to a Sunday breakfast and recount some of the excitement from the night before.
But, wait, then there’s part two. We’ll head over to CitiField, where we’ll see my side of the family for a Mets game and, more importantly, celebrate a momentous birthday for our nephew.
We’ll share the excitement of this big birthday as we all become die hard Mets fans for the day, even as we also may share a few memories.
Indeed, when the birthday boy’s brother was born, my girlfriend (now my wife) and I drove to Baltimore. She left earlier than I. My then three-year-old nephew joined us as I walked her to her car.
“Bye, love you,” I said to my wife, kissing her through the rolled down window.
“Bye, love you,” our nephew echoed, standing on his tip toes as he offered an irresistible grin.
We’ll likely compare baseball stories and anecdotes about my nephew who has been married for over a year.
I may even tell the story about a memorable phone call.
His father, who wasn’t a morning person, called me early one Sunday. He asked me about my weekend and my plans for the week. Stupidly, I answered all his questions without thinking of the context for his life.
“Great,” he said, sounding both tired and excited. “Well, guess what?”
I shrugged while he paused either for effect or to take a quick rest.
“You’re an uncle,” he declared.
I jumped out of bed and couldn’t possibly get dressed quickly enough to meet someone I’m as eager to see today and any other day as the day he was born.
While we might wistfully recount such stories, we will also have the incredible gift of family time.Amid all the other times that come and go, we will have a full weekend where we won’t focus on whatever worries us about the world. We will share the joy of staying present, reveling in these magical moments that matter.
