Aug
4
2006
My Cousin's Wedding
This weekend I am charged with the task of emceeing the wedding of my cousin Ron and his wonderful bride Kim. This is the second time that he has called upon me to play a role in an important event. When Ron's father (my uncle, obviously) passed away in February of 2005, I was given the great honour of delivering the eulogy. Without question, that was the hardest thing I have ever done. Because the Catholic service was quite strict, the eulogy had to take place before the actual funeral service. This meant that I had to open up the proceedings in front of several hundred people. In a Catholic church. It was a completely humbling experience. To this day, that experience stands as a touchstone. Whenever I have to accomplish something difficult, I think of Uncle Maurice's funeral and it makes the task seem easy.
And now, I come full circle with Ron's wedding. It is with great honour that I preside over this special event. I'll do my best to keep the festivities light and elegant. But Maurice's death still weighs heavy on everyone, and some parts of the program will be tough to get through. I will do my best to honour the event.
