the chicago athletic association

on sunday, when e and i went to the concert, i walked past the chicago athletic association. this is where scott and i were married. obviously, it is filled with memories of a very significant day in my life. i think back to it now, almost 6 years later, and realize that i could never have fathomed the beauty that would spill out from our life together. he is an amazing man. i certainly knew that then, but as time passes, i see him with fresh eyes. my life is so much richer than i could have imagined on that october day. and while my heart was filled with hope for the life we would have together, seeing it unfold has been such an over-the-top experience.

walking by that building was bittersweet. it has now closed and the future of what it is to become is uncertain. there has been speculation about what will be done with it, but no final decision has been made.

when i think back to my wedding day, the one thing that stands out the most is my mother. i can remember sitting with scott eating our dinner and catching a glimpse of my mom out of the corner of my eye. i watched her for a few minutes and was amazed at what i saw. she was circling the room, greeting each table. and while i couldn't hear what she was saying, i could see a radiant glow on her face. she was beaming. to read this might not sound amazing at all. that's what the mother of the bride is supposed to do, right? she is typically beaming and playing the good hostess roll. but for me, it was different. you see, my mom doesn't beam that often. her life has been hard and she usually carries an expression of focus. she has to be that way.

when i was born, my mom suffered from a severe brain aneurysm. she was hospitalized for six months and there was little hope that she would walk again. being the determined woman that she is, she defied those odds and walked. first, with the help of a full leg brace and now with just the help of a cane. her perseverance has always been amazing. but it has led to a lot less beaming and glowing as she mothered her three girls.

while i watched her i wondered about the glow. where did it come from on this day? this was a day that could have been difficult for her. you see, the room was filled with people from both sides of my family. my parents divorced when i was a toddler. being at a wedding with her ex-husband and his entire family doesn't always make for a day of "glowing". and yet she did.

i asked her about it after the wedding and she unfolded a beautiful story for me. my mom shared with me that she had spent her entire period of motherhood praying that her girls would marry men that called Jesus their friend. this day, marked for her, an answer to that prayer. and while the story could have turned out differently (my sisters and i didn't always gravitate to that kind of man), it didn't. she was spilling over with joy because all three of her "sons" had made a decision to walk their lives with God at their side. this day, for her, was about a God that cared for her deeply and had made good on His promise to her.