Ashley and I got married almost 12 years ago. We have birthed 2 children, adopted 1, have owned houses, lived all over the west, and have worked in many different jobs – now being self employed. In other words, we have had some time to prepare for the first of the siblings to get married. And here it is. So how does one begin to write about the wedding of a sister? I have 27 years of history with Becca, and it’s hard to encapsulate all of that into a blog post. But it’s necessary to try as weddings are, by nature, the closing of one chapter of life, and the beginning of a new one. Becca woke up on this wedding day as a Parsons, and before it was over became a Murphy. I thought about that fact, and it quickly took me through 10000 memories of childhood – vacations, normal days at home, growing up together – over 2 decades of memories as “the parsons” family, of which Becca is a big piece. I was sad about the close of this chapter for a spell. After all, I do still vividly remember her as a 4 year old, or as a 14 year old at our wedding, or as a high school kid, and even as a college student. And it’s not just that I remember who she was, but genuinely celebrate the woman that she’s become. And she’s part of the same family that I came from. So, all of the quirks, brokenness, and victories that our family has produced, are part of her story too. She’s my sister, and it is so surreal to have watched her grow up. But despite the closing of this chapter, it dawned on me: this is good. So, so good.
For one thing, this man, my new brother, is definitely the best guy we’ve ever met for Becca. He had been her good friend for years, and now had won her heart, and instantly won us over in our first meeting. Michael is now my brother, the “cool uncle who plays soccer” to my sons, and we couldn’t be happier about it. He is a lover of Jesus, hilarious, a great listener, compassionate, and when he sits around the table at family dinners, it is seamless. It’s as if our family was made to have him as part of it. I am so thankful to have been one of the first people to welcome becca into the world (she was born on halloween, I was 5 years old and I was dressed as an ewok), the person to have named her (yes, my parents listened to my suggestion and chose the name I had thought of for her), and I have watched her grow from a chubby baby into a woman of considerable compassion, humor, and humility. Add to that the brilliant beauty of Colorado, having our kids as a part of the wedding, sharing it with my parents and sisters, being surrounded by family friends (many of them were at our wedding as well), and a reminder of God’s rich love for His children – we drove away with full hearts, and a new member of our family.
Becca and Michael, we love you both and are excited to walk through this life beside you.
by the parsons
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