Love and gratitude

I have had so many opportunities to rant about wedding related things. There is tons of drama involved in planning a wedding and for marriage that you cannot even conceive of or imagine. I thought I would be immune from the drama, believing I had a pretty decent family and set of friends, but I have learned that NOONE is immune from wedding drama. I guess its part of "initiation" into the marriage world.

I really should share those things just to illustrate the other side of the coin, but I have yet another lovefest of elation that I must share with you. I am receiving a GENEROUS gift from the parents of a child (with autism) that I had been working with since April of 2005. He started out with minimal sounds and by the time my services ended with him, he was telling me "Erna, I want the book please" and had a reading vocabulary of over 100 words. It wasnt always easy working with this kid, but his progress was absolutely gratifying. Here is part of an email that I sent his mom, who still keeps in touch regularly and I will let you know why I will be seeing them in a few weeks:

...My family is overwhelmed with gratitude for your generous gift of flowers. We had hired a florist but when my father told her how much flowers you were giving us, she said she could use those flowers to make the arrangements in church and for the flowergirls. Now we only have to pay for the services and are saving so much money with the flowers. thank you thank you thank you. i am so proud to tell people of your gift:) it is really making the flower decoration in the church so much more meaningful.

By the way, the florist said that if the flowers arrive on the 11th, that should be okay so if that is still the scheduled arrival of the flowers, that would be great. i really want you to see the flowers in the church when it is all decorated, do you think you and the family could at least attend the wedding ceremony? we would really be honored...

They are giving us 400 roses and 125 calla lillies. I am SO going to cry when I see these flowers decorating the church. I don't even care what color they will be. I am still in shock. Okay, I'm tearing up. Crap.