The Marriage Of My Daughter

It seems like only yesterday my daughter was having high tea with her dad.

It was imaginary tea, but she served it with great elegance putting the tiny teacup in my hands then filling it from the small glass teapot.

It always made me feel special.

Once she said she wanted to do my nails and although that wasn’t a thing I normally did I said yes. Exhausted from work I fell asleep and when I woke up every one of my toes was a brilliant shade of pink.

I wore that nail polish for quite a while not wanting to hurt her feelings.

My wife Kathy removed it. It was the height of summer and I could finally wear my flip flops again.

We played with Care Bears (she still has them) and we watched “He Man and She Ra,” together.

There were countless viewings of “The Little Mermaid” and tears at the end of “Somewhere In Time.”

I worked nights when she was little and most nights wouldn’t get home till after eleven o clock.

My daughter wouldn’t go to sleep until I got home and sang to her.

Now she is all grown up. She is a strong and independent woman as it should be, and tomorrow she is getting married. Dan is a good man and I know they will be very happy.

And yet….no matter how old she gets there is a part of me that will always remember that little girl serving her dad invisible tea or painting my toes a blinding shade of pink.