Prior to these moments, I treasured two crumpled images.
Michelle and I were raised in an age without cell phones, and especially selfies. We weren't able to daily afflict the world with traffic light snapshots of our flannel, Docs, and acne (and this is a good thing). We slathered glitter over every inch of our exposed body, donned baby barrettes in our freshly bleached hair, and pored over the new Delia's catalog as we listened to both parent-approved and unapproved music. We shared each other's closets, and took each other's brothers to prom. We gave each other both wise and horrible advice as we navigated boys, school, and church. We were good friends for nearly a decade.
And in the decade and a half that followed, I would on happy occasion come across one of these two prints. One was of us at a bake sale, and the other was a candid on my parents' sofa. All of our memories were encased in two awful prints, prior to these moments a few weekends ago.
Michelle married her boyfriend of almost 10 years in the beginning of September, at Brown Mountain Beach Resort near Lenoir, NC. I was honored to serve her that weekend as her stylist/makeup artist, and I was elated to introduce her family (in many ways very much my own) to my husband. And he captured hundreds of new memories for me of one of the kindest, secure, and happiest girls I know.
You are a beautiful bride, Michelle, and we wish so many years of happiness to you and Seth. XOXO.
