A Toast

I met Brayden at SVU my freshman year in the old Student Union. He was sitting with his laptop and invited me over to look at something funny online. I believe it was a listing of French Military Defeats at albinoblacksheep.com. From there we talked and I learned that he was auditioning for the Fall show that year and he invited me over to his house to watch the movie with him and another friend of ours. I'd like to say that the third friend was Kaitlin, but that would be a lie. It was another girl who would soon be engaged and married by the end of that semester. That evening, we watched the Importance of Being Earnest in his basement.

That's the first time I ever had a real friend. In all my time at school in New Jersey and at Church growing up, I never really had what I'd call a real friend. There were people I knew, kids I would play with certainly, but I'd never have called them friend. To me, a friend is someone who is not related to you that you can talk to about anything. Someone you can always trust, someone who will help you without being asked to. And he was friend to me.

During my Senior year, Kaitlin came along and the two of them eventually got together. I may have had a hand in it because I did tell her to give Brayden a chance. He was a good guy and I pride myself on my judge of character. Well, you can see the results from that chance she gave him.

I asked him once if he loved her. And his response was, "There are three different definitions of Love in the Bible. There is the love of family members, the love of friends and finally the love of spouses. And I love her as my spouse." I might be paraphrasing a little, but that's the essence.

So here's a toast: To the Bride and Groom. May you love each other, may you live long and full, and may God bless you with success in all your endeavors. Cheers.

So here I am in New Hampshire, raising my glass to toast , and hoping that they will always live happily ever after.

-S.