The son of a good friend of mine was to get married in the Fall. He and his fiancé, Cindy, hired me to photograph their wedding. Having heard that I wrote a poem on a dedication plaque for the local library, they asked me to write something for her father who was recovering from a stroke. No commercial card seemed to express her love for her dad and they thought a more personal message to be more fitting. The bride-to-be told me how wonderful her dad was through the years and how he was determined to walk her down the aisle, no matter how slowly he walked. Here's what I wrote.
Dad, dear Dad,
Whenever life wasn't fair
You were never not there.
I remember my party
When nobody came
You said, "They just forgot"
And took all my pain.
When my little dog died
You stood by my side.
And when I needed a car
It was your cookie jar.
When I finished with school
You cried like a fool
And if it's heaven I share,
I know you'll be there.
Your Cindy
Another time I needed a poem for a bride and groom to give to their parents on the wedding day. I printed it on parchment, rolled into a scroll and tied with a rose and a golden ribbon.
Dear Mom and Dad,
If love could flow
Like ink from a pen,
If words could show
How I feel now and then,
I am what I am with you inside;
You gave me so much
In which I take pride.
I know there were times
When I made you sad
But you both understood
And gave all you had.
If I could live over
My whole life through,
I'd still want to be me
And you to be you.
Your daughter
