It was a short aisle at the Chapel....10 rows to be exact.
But as I envisioned my walk down that aisle months prior, I saw a couple of the greatest men in my life walking down it next to me. They were my late husband Chuck's brother and son, Doug and Troy. I'm not going to lie; I was nervous asking them for this favor. Very nervous.
How do you ask these men who loved my late husband so much, to walk you to your future husband?
But I believe their exact answers to me were, "I thought you'd never ask" and "I'd be honored to." I went home and cried.
And I remember standing there in the foyer of the Chapel before the doors opened and seeing Doug Etheridge mouth the words, "You look beautiful". It was all I could do to not cry. And as he walked me to aisle 5, halfway to my future husband, my step-son Troy stepped out and walked me the rest of the way.
Chuck would have been so proud of these men he loved.
Troy walked me to my 93-year old Dad on the front aisle....whose face was wet with tears as he hugged me tight, told me he loved me, and handed me over to Wayne.
These Three Men......mighty men in my heart and soul and in my life.....men who lead by example that even through death, life is meant to be lived. There are no words in this girl-of-many-words' heart to fully express the BLESSING they showered down on me that day.