ONE OF THE BEST DAYS

Yesterday will always be one of me favorite days. I was fortunate to have it and I do not know if I can describe it in a way that will even begin to do it justice. I am sure that the story of yesterday will unfold over the next few weeks but, for today, I want to give you a glimpse into a special moment.

Camille was absolutely stunning. She was beyond beautiful to me. She did literally glow. They had worked so very hard for this wedding to be special. But you know, some special you just cannot plan.

The entire venue was here at the Ambassador Hotel in Amarillo. They did a wonderful job but.....it was hot. Beyond hot. As you know, my daddy finished chemo a few weeks ago.
The removal of his lung was a cake walk compared to the horrors of chemo. Chemo was a bitch. An ugly bitch and it has robbed my daddy of a lot of things. The worst thing is that it has taken his strength and stamina. He has episodes where he has a horrible shaking which he refers to as *The Funky Chicken*. He cannot even walk when one of those is happening. Here all our handsome men are wearing tuxs and it is hot. It zapped what little strength my daddy had and I was really afraid that he would not be able to walk Camille down the isle. That has always been Camille's dream....for my daddy to walk her down the isle. Between the heat and all of the pictures before hand, my daddy was totally spent and I was afraid that he might not be able to walk her down the isle. I came up with a back-up plan just in case.

I did not need the plan. My daddy was bound and determined that he was going to walk her and he did. He walked Camille down the isle to *You are my sunshine*. He was to give her away and Camille had it planned for him to say, when asked, I do. Instead, when asked *who gives this woman?* my daddy replied *her mother, her brother, her grandmother and I do.".

Did I mention how much I love my daddy?

The wedding ended and my daddy was so tired. He got out of this tux and that helped a lot. We were able to get cooler at the reception but it was still very warm. I knew my daddy had to be given out but he kept plugging along. They had decided that, if need be, they would go up and rest in my room. I figured we would need for him to rest before the ride home.

The first dance started and Camille and Shawn looked wonderful. They are so happy and it shows. "I wandered off and went to visit with my second set of family....my friends...my co-workers...who traveled all that way to be with us on that special day. We were all visiting when the second dance started. Cade took his sister by the hand and began dancing with her. My kids entered into the lives of my friends when they were but 13 and 3. We were all talking about how they should not be grown up and yada yada yada. We were all a little teary eyed when, all of the sudden, there was movement from the left side of the room.

We all looked up to see my daddy tap Cade on the shoulder and cut in. My daddy took Camille in his arms and danced.

My daddy...the man who had and raised 2 children. The man that then helped me to raise my 2 children.

My daddy....Camille and Cade's hero.

My daddy...the man who could have died last November.

My daddy made dreams come true last night.

There was not one dry eye in the house.


who believes in magic and has the pictures to prove it.