Grey Barn STORIES: Blue Like Ruth

Congratulations to Mr. & Mrs. Austin Gerali.

We love you, already, Katie Patterson!

My sister, Ruth, loves blue.
Always has.

Their family of 3 and their guests still eat from the blue and white Dansk Bistro set of dishes, which were on her bridal gift registry 34 years ago.

Her first home had blue and white Corian.

This week-end, we loaded, unloaded, and loaded back up again case after case of Blue Moon beer, to celebrate at her son and new daughter-in-law's wedding reception.

Her dress was the most lovely mother of the groom dress I've ever seen. She looked absolutely gorgeous and when she moved it shimmered and morphed into a hundred brilliant shades of ....

...blue.

***

We love family weddings. I'll be the first to admit that our extended family doesn't see eye to eye on everything. There are a couple of topics we should probably steer clear of. Family get-togethers have the potential to drive ya bonkers, so we coined the phrase "Blessed Tailights." And we'd probably all still be great friends if facebook had never been invented. Whatever.

But throw a family wedding and we can forgive and forget faster than you can hit "post" on a fb comment.

So when September 17 rolled around this year, we did just that. We shopped for new clothes. We drove in a couple days early to help out. We brought Grandma and Grandpa. We wrapped the groomsmen gifts and gave all kinds of sage advice to the groom about enjoying the day and double checking to see if he added our wishlist to the playlist. We took way too many photos (is that even possible?) We videoed the whole thing. We cheered when they headed back down the aisle. We raised our light sabers when Star Wars happened to be the recessional song. We got a second wind. (see video below) We could not stop thanking them for the best day ever. (Well, since the last family wedding, anyway)

I held it together all but once.

My little sister acts more like an older sister to me. She is the mentor now. She is an encourager and a giver. Her gift of hospitality is boundless. She is the most famous Italian cook I know. She is a business woman and partner. She is passionate about family; from her own, to her gaggle of great nieces and nephews. She listens to the small still voice and poured her heart and soul into raising the child God gave her. She applies God's Word and music to every situation in her life, and mine and I love her.

The bella luna was hanging low in the azure sky when the music started and my little sister, Ruth and her only child, Austin waltzed onto dance floor for the mother/son dance.

I cried like a little school girl.

What song did she choose for that once-in-a-lifetime dance, you ask?

Blue moon you saw me standing alone

Without a dream in my heart

Without a love of my own

Blue moon, you knew just what I was there for

You heard me saying a prayer for

Someone I really could care for

And then there suddenly appeared before me

The only one my arms will ever hold

I heard somebody whisper "Please adore me"

And when I looked, the moon had turned to gold!

Blue moon

Now I'm no longer alone