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."