It has been almost a year since I have written a word here. What a wonderfully crazy year it has been. I am going to make an honest attempt to sit down and write here more often and go through some of what has happened. But first, let's start with perhaps the biggest event over this past year. While my brother has been out of our parents house for a number of years now and while he still has a good portion of his "stuff" lingering there, he is now married as of three days ago. My little brother who I used to torment has grown up, found himself a beautiful woman to be his wife, and is forging his way forward. The years of tormenting are long gone (mostly), and now that we have grown closer, I couldn't be prouder of my baby brother. Yes, there will always be times when I throw in a quick jab, but now he retaliates, a true Zamachaj trait. I write today though, not to highlight our mutual tormenting of each other, but rather to highlight this past weekend, my brother's wedding, and how wonderful everything was. Being closer to my brother now, he chose me to be his best man at his wedding and I couldn't have been more honored. From the moment our family arrived this past Thursday, it was an event filled weekend with almost every meal full of extended family, new family, and friends. It was an emotional high that lasted for three days straight. Sometimes in our daily lives we forget how great it is to be with family, and not just the family we see on a regular basis. It is great to see all family, but especially to gather with extended family and share our stories in person that have accumulated over the years between last visits. Sure, we can share stories on Facebook (which I mostly don't do), but they lack that personal touch that comes with face to face interaction. Sure, we can look at pictures at family and how they have grown and changed, but nothing has quite the same impact of seeing those people in front of you. Spending time with extended family, at least for me, makes me wish that the extended family wasn't as "extended" as they are. It makes me wish that the distance between family members was a little more surmountable than the status quo. Yet, as much as I wish it to be, this is not the world according to Alex.
The whole weekend was amazing, but let's focus for now on Saturday the 18th, the day my brother made a vow that will forever alter the course of his life. The weather was perfect for a wedding. The skies were cloudless, there was almost no humidity, and the temperature peaked at around 80 degrees. The only thing I would have changed would be my tuxedo. I don't like them and part of me wishes it was a beach wedding with shorts and Hawaiian shirts. Yet I had no say for some reason. The morning of the wedding was relatively relaxing. I spent some time in the pool with our kids and just lounged around till it was time to squeeze myself into the tux. The only thing I was stressing about was the speech that I would be giving at the reception about my brother. I had been thinking about what exactly I was going to say for about a month and true to form, I waited till the last few days to start organizing my thoughts, whittling them down, and putting them in an order that would actually flow and make sense. After all, it is not the easiest thing to sum up 27 years that you have lived with someone in about 5 minutes. Yet, about 3 hours before the wedding, I had it down, and would continue to repeat it in my mind right up until the moment I stood up to talk.
Then a little after lunch, the whirlwind began. My brother Pete, myself, and the three other groomsmen made our way over to the church to begin pictures. For the next hour or so we trekked around his alma mater, Saint Anselm, taking pictures in all the key locations; Alumni Hall, the football field (even though my brother never played the sport), and stone face (just look it up). Then it was off to the on campus church to wait. We cooled off as much as possible from walking across the entire campus in tuxedos under a midday sun. Then it was go time. Wait, wait, wait...cue music, and the last minutes of my brother's single life begin to wind down. The only thing that would have made me happier throughout the whole ceremony would have been the church installing an air conditioner. Despite that, it was beautiful. Family and friends witnessing my brother's marriage, what could be better. Looking back even a few days later, it was over in a flash and I wasn't even the one getting married. Before we knew it, we were heading back out for more pictures and the trip to Zorvino's, a vineyard where the reception was to be held.
More pictures at the vineyard, then almost immediately upon entering, the first dances and my speech. I felt like I nailed it. A touch humiliation and a lot of adulation, and we were off to the races again. Dash here there and everywhere. For me, I was running around trying to spend time with family, dance, eat, spend more time with family, and dance some more. By that point, I barely even saw my brother as he made his way around the room talking to all the guests with Kelly. Every so often, I would catch a glimpse of him, but then he would be off again and I'd be heading in the opposite direction. I think I am still trying to process that evening as everything still seems a litt bit of a blur. Before I knew it, the music was winding down and it was time to go. The brevity of the whole day makes me wish sometimes that we lived in Europe and had one of those wedding receptions that last for three days or more. The flip side to that, however, would be the longer, harder recovery I would have to go through. So, I guess in a way, a one day wedding with a few days spending time with family is sufficient. I am proud of my little brother and wish him nothing but the best. Luckily, he doesn't live that far away so I will still get to see him and his wife. I will end this today by sharing with you the blessing I gave my brother in my speech. "As you slide down the banister of life, may the splinters never point the wrong way"
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