Emily Giffin

I want to tell you about one of my favorite things. You're probably a smidge disappointed that my name isn't Oprah Winfrey and that I won't be showering you with thousands upon thousands of dollars of merchandise, but you win some you lose some, ya know? And even without the gifts you're going to come out a winner on this one.

My favorite author, Emily Giffin, has reminded me, with each one of her books, of life lessons that I had started to lose along the way. I think that the most fair thing to do for you here is to give you brief reasons why each book meant something special to me, and to tell you how, with her carefully crafted stories, Emily was able to help me come back to the most basic of principles we are supposed to cling to in life.

When I read Something Borrowed, on the recommendation of a friend, I was reminded that even the girl who is incredibly unlucky in love gets her prince one day.

With her tale of best friends, Rachel and Darcy, Emily reminded me that nothing in life is ever perfect. You cannot always get what you want. There are consequences to every action, and because of that we must remember to be careful what we wish for. Rachel's anguish and guilt throughout the story, so easily avoidable if she had just spoken up earlier, reminded me to take a chance-- that I would never get what I wanted if just sat idly by, watching things happen around me.

But did I read this story and side with "right"?

I couldn't have. Because in this well-told story, Emily made it clear that we can never really know what is right or wrong. Based on your perspective, your definition of right could be very different from mine. Perspective often makes all the difference in our thoughts and opinions. If we saw something just a little bit differently, it might completely change our reactions or choices in life.

The things that happen to us everyday are a direct relation to the way we handle them. Your reaction to an unexpected catalyst could completely change the course of your life and the lives of those around you. In this story, Rachel's reaction to Dex in law school sent her life on a course that was never quite what she wanted. But her reaction to an unexpected kiss on the night of her birthday party sent it in the completely opposite direction, causing a chain of events that she could never have fully been prepared for.

But it wasn't just Rachel's life that began to spin out of control. Her choices began to effect so many people around her. Rachel didn't want to cause upheaval and grief to so many people she loved, but sometimes that's what happens. We have to accept that with our happiness we can sometimes negatively impact people around us. People we love. People who matter.

Emily Giffin created a world in which right isn't so right and wrong is just plain awful. Life is not black and white. Choices are not clear cut. Actions do not always have equal reactions. We cannot always count on doing the right thing. Because my right could very well be your wrong.

If you have not read Emily Giffin yet, you should. And you should start here, with her first book. I promise you will not be disappointed.

And this fabulous book will be a movie, coming in May, so you should read it before then, so you can see the movie.

http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/wb/somethingborrowed/

Matt and Jess

When my cousin/best friend got married last week I set out to write up a little blog post dedicated to he and his new wife that I would post here to let them know how happy I was for them and how much I loved them! Anyhow-- the blog post turned into more of a toast which I delivered at their reception, but since it started out as a blog post I wanted to go ahead and post it.

"Once upon a time there was a little boy named Matt, and he was kind of a pain.

Now, fast forward to present day- there is a man named Matt…and he’s still kind of a pain.

But I’m not going to stand up here and tell you about how he used to fall on the basketball when the opposing team tried to steal it from him. And I won’t tell you about the way he’d scream and cry anytime anything didn’t go his way. And I won’t even tell you about the time he lied to our senior English class and told them we were twins.

What I will tell you about is how he always stood up for who and what he believed in, no matter what anyone said about him.

I’ll tell you about the times he would make a special effort to take our cousins out to do something fun, just because he thought they would like it.

I’ll tell you about the times he’d hold my hand, be a shoulder to cry on, and just listen, no matter how unreasonable I was being.

And I’ll tell you about how much he loves Jess, and what she means to him.

I can remember the first time Matt told me about the mystery girl from Rhode Island that he met online, of all things, playing World of Warcraft. He was unsure of what was going to happen, but he knew one thing: she was unlike any girl he had ever met before.

Boy was he right. Jess is fun, helpful, caring, and most of all, the best kind of friend to have. She’s selfless and giving, and she wants to be sure everyone has everything they need. She’s exactly the person I would have chosen for Matt, had anyone asked what I thought… I have been so fortunate to witness their love evolve, to sit by and watch as something really special unfolded between them.

It is so magical when two people who love one another are joined together in marriage because, as Elizabeth Barrett Browning told us, “love, after all, doesn’t make the world go around, love is what makes the ride worthwhile.”

Jess, allow me to be the first to officially welcome you to the family. Let’s be honest, we welcomed you a long time ago, but again, now it’s official!

We ask that along with taking Matt you take us too, because now, for better or worse you’re one of us. So please take us as we are: chipper, melancholy, optimistic, realistic, zany, stoic, open, guarded, loud, soft spoken, gentle, firm, sweet, and reserved because it takes all these different types of people to make a family.

Now if any of this scares you, let me remind you- It’s too late. You’re one of us, now! But the good news is we’re all in it together, bound by blood and marriage and strengthened by love and friendship. As our family continues to grow and change through joyful additions like this one, we hope that you truly feel like one of us, because today, you are a Johnson!

This occasion reminds of something Emily Dickinson said: “Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same.” Matt and Jess, your souls are the same. Together, you will take the world (of warcraft) by storm and do great things. I look forward to watching as you write the rest of your story, and seeing your love grow, blossom, expand, and flourish.

Please raise your glasses with me in an Irish toast:

May the roof above your heads never fall in, and may you never fall out from under it.

May the flame of love burn brightest at the darkest hours, and may it never flicker in the winds of trial.

May “for better or worse” always be far better than worse.

To Matt and Jess, to happily ever after, and to true love."