Published: June 17, 2009 10:41 pm      

Mark Maynard: Practicing the stiff upper lip: 6/18/09

So far, so good for the Father of the Bride. With each passing day though, the Wedding Day draws closer — the countdown is sitting at 37 days. That still gives me some breathing room.

I know as the day keeps getting closer, the breathing will get increasingly difficult.

I’ll have to start practicing the stiff upper lip soon, too. I’m not going to lie, it’s going to be tough. I’ve tried to visualize the moment when Sally and I are standing together waiting for The Big Moment. I get misty-eyed writing it so you can imagine how it will be in real time.

Stiff upper lip.

We went to a wedding for some of my wife’s family last summer and before the bride came down the aisle, they showed a video of her with her father from practically every stage of growing up.

Good grief! I haven’t put my foot down on much, but I did tell Sally don’t even think about doing that at her wedding. I’d be reduced to a tub of goo if anything mildly similar were being shown.

The pain so far has been the financial extractions but, once you’ve settled in your mind it’s going to cost some money to put on a wedding, it’s not that hard to accept. You know what’s coming, so that’s worth something. My wife and daughter have been frugal and the sticker price for this wedding will be less than a lot of people pay these days. I appreciate that more than they’ll ever know.

At the same time, I don’t want her to skimp on anything. Sally deserves the wedding of her dreams.

Stiff upper lip.

Last weekend, we emptied out a lot of the War Room, taking the shower gifts and furniture to an apartment in northern Kentucky where Sally and Derrick will be living after they’re married.

They were so excited. It’s funny how reflective you become when these events are taking place before your eyes.

Sally was setting up her kitchen, putting everything in its place, and essentially setting up house. I can remember when her mother was doing the same thing at our first apartment back in 1981.

Time sure has a way of marching on.

We still a have a lot to do in preparation of the Big Day. There are so many details that escape me. Luckily, at this point, I’m in charge of nothing. It may be best to keep it that way.

My job for now is easy: Practice the stiff upper lip.

I’m working on it, I really am.

MARK MAYNARD can be reached at mmaynard@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2648.