A Wedding: From the eyes of the Bestman....

This day has finally come... 9/19/09

This entry is dedicated to My brother and his beautiful wife... Don't forget to make beautiful memories together...

The entire week my mind was in a tailspin, I knew that he was ready, but was I ready to let him go.

"This wedding was just announced yesterday," I pondered to myself as I scrambled to pack my bags.

Those who know the Jackson brothers know that we are down for each other no matter what. If I could explain the bond we share with each other in one sentence, that sentence would never end...

Embarking on this trip I knew that emotionally I was going to be tore down, because I was losing a piece of myself and it is the best thing for him. The silver lining to this cloud is that I've gained two sisters to torment, my brother and his wife started a new life together and I finally made it to the west coast after years of waiting. So I finally finished packing my 52lb suit case and I set off to old west were dreams are made... I know it sounds cheesy, but hell it kept me calm the entire plane ride. After a couple of quick phone calls to my boys Craig and Jack I was sitting on the plane.

While on the plane I found myself beginning to freak out about my Bestman speech that I had prepared, but neglected to bring. Personally I wanted to speak from the heart, but I was at square one again with my thought process... It's hard to think of one or two great things to say about a person when there are millions of great memories that that two of you have shared. So I decided to to sleep on it...I was awaken by a baby crying and a flight attendant asking my if I wanted peanuts... I opted for the pretzels and a Jack Daniel on the rocks...

As the plane pushed through the clouds I began to feel a sense of relief, who knew being 10,000 ft in the air could feel so good on the soul. Internally I wanted so dearly for someone to tell me it's going to be ok, though people had already been doing that, but what they didn't understand is the severity of the situation in my eyes. I wanted things to be how they were in the past... Gone are the days of playing outside until you turn five shades darker than your normal color, or staying up late on the weekends, playing video games and competitive little league or gone are the days of watching you grow from a boy into a man, but watching vicariously through my own eyes. After I consumed my pretzels and the JD on the rocks, I said a little prayer to God to eliminate my insecurities for this new chapter in my family's life and to birth a new generation of
Jackson men, est 1980, reorganized in 1984.



The plane landed in San Fransisco and due to the time zone change it had already felt later than what it really was. I must say there is a calming aura to California that I just haven't figured out yet... I do think it's the natural barrier that the state has developed over is evolution. Beautiful trees, rolling hills and crisp water. All ingredients for a beautiful and memorable wedding ceremony. My brother and father-in-law picked me up from the airport. I was the first groomsman to make it to Cali from the east coast. That night was simple as everyone started to arrive. Drinks and then sleep...

The next couple of days were spent doing the regular wedding preparations, but it went without a hitch, or maybe it was due to the severe planning of the bride or for once the people involved all pitched in to make sure that their specific duties were taken care of. The bride-to-be was something of a moving force during this process and it was very necessary in this situation. She had a vision of a masterpiece and being the artist that she is, it brought out a more demanding side of her. I was taken back, but not in a bad way, more so on a level of "Damn you are something special."

One of the most refreshing aspects of the weekend is that the boys chilled out. My brother has some really cool friends and I can understand why they all love each other. We moved like a unit, and if I'm not mistaken a unspoken bond was created with the formula of men in the wedding party.
Since the beginning of most of my brother's friendships, I've always been considered the little brother and there was no exception this weekend (LOL).


Saturday was bittersweet to say the least. I looked at my brother and he was so calm, his demeanor was like something I had not seen in a long time. He had that spark in his eye and it was what I needed to get through the day. As we arrived at the church a sense of peace came over all of us, and I think a lot of that can be contributed to the ambiance of the Sanctuary. The church sat on a cliff over looking one of Oakland's canyons. The motto of the Skyline Church is, "Where Heaven and Earth meet..." It was breathtaking... My soul duty as best man is to hold the rings and that I did. I swear I check my coat pocket a hundred times before the ceremony started. Family and friends filled each seat in the sanctuary, the music began to play softly in the background and then the bell rang outside to cue us into the church. Leading us out to the altar was the bride's birth father who married the couple, followed by the groom and then yours truly. Usually during most wedding there is a tension in the air that can be sliced with a knife, but the atmosphere was so light it felt surreal.

The wedding party entered into the sanctuary one by one, the Maid-of-honor entered and then the doors closed. People were in such anticipation, and then the doors opened and in walked the bride. She looked stunning and confident, my brother didn't falter either, it's as if they had been there before. They both lock eyes from the time she walked in. The vows. The rings. The kiss. The Broom. The Jackson's.

Ok I know what I have described seems simple and quaint. Well I wish I could say the same for the reception... If there were one song, just one that could be used to describe the reception, hands down it has to be "Happy Feelings" by: Frankie Beverly, but that comes later. The best man speech....well I must say I had no idea what to say until that moment. So I just opened my mouth, and then it started a wave of toasts, which lead to laughter, tears and hope for the future... Everything that I could not find the words to say, or munster up the strength to say out loud without balling like a toddler, were covered by the wedding party. From that point forward the reception really took on the characteristics of a celebration, and guess what? I have to end my story. Any other details are left for pictures and home videos.


















I will say this though in closing, I was so grateful that God allowed me to be apart of that divine moment...

Wedding Gift: A Pair of Sterling Silver Cuff links... With the initials CSJ engraved into them... Priceless.