My cousin Savannah got married on April 2 of this year and I was asked to be a bridesmaid. I never realized how emotional the experience would be for me. Savannah's mom married my uncle when I was about 5 years old. She was 6 and since we were so close in age, we became fast friends. In fact, we were inseparable between the ages of 11 and sixteen. But then something happened...she got a boyfriend. All of our days of pretend and games were gone; replaced by the intrusion of a member of the male gender.
While I didn't have animosity for the guy, I did feel sad that the time Sav and I spent together was permanently cut short. Not a year later, I would have a boyfriend too.
Fast forward 3 years and Sav is seeing someone new. His name is Josh and seems to be a great guy, though Sav and I can rarely find the time to hang out more than once a month. Last June, she told me she was engaged.
I was taken aback. My just-turned-twenty year old cousin has set to be married to Josh within the following year...and I was to be a bridesmaid. I was thrilled and scared at the same time. While I never expected things to go back to the days when Sav and I hung out all the time, I was still so shocked that this was happening so soon.
I bought the dress, asked off from work and before I knew it, April 1st came: the rehearsal. It went by rather quickly. Directions were given on when to walk, how to walk, where to stand, etc. I went to sleep with an excited anticipation for the following day.
At 11am I entered the back of the church where the rest of the rest of the bridesmaids were getting ready. Sav was getting her hair done. I applied by make up, got dressed and occasionally looked back at my cousin who was slowly being transformed into a princess. At fifteen minutes to one, Savannah was glowing in her full-length wedding gown and veil. I couldn't hold back the tears.
I saw her as the now twenty-one year old, but flashed back several times to when we were just kids playing in the back yard. Here she was, ready to be Josh's wife.
When the ceremony started and the bridesmaids and groomsmen took their places near the altar, the piano music began to play, cuing that Sav was about to walk in.
As soon as I caught a glimpse of her rounding the corner on my uncle's arm, tears streamed from my face. She was so beautiful and radiated joy.
I saw all the memories we had together growing up. I saw the woman she had become and got a foreshadow of the woman she would become. It was a most memorable experience; one I will cherish.
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