ANATOMY OF A WEDDING - Part 3 of probably 7

REHEARSAL DINNER - THE AFTERMATH

SHARING TIME: We moved right into sharing time (hereinafter "ST") immediately following dinner. I felt we should have waited at least 30 minutes...like you do before you swim...so that no one would get sick. Because to tell you the truth, this part of the wedding weekend can be quite brutal, turning many a happily oblivious person into an emotionally overwrought one. And who wants to do that on a full stomach? I know I don’t. But no one asked me.

THE LOVE FEST: So how do I describe this particular ST? Basically it was one sweet, sloppy mess. I definitely could have done without the reminder that Ben was ALWAYS respectful and loving towards my mother...the only grandchild of his age group to merit that praise. But other than that cruel remark, the rest of the sharing was bearable. Many sharers made us laugh and only a few made us cry. All were eloquent and mercifully brief. And only a couple were delusional. That list would include Courtney’s dad who couldn’t find anything bad to say about Ben. He’s obviously never ridden in a 15-passenger van with him for 20 hours straight. But maybe it’s good for the in-laws to wear those rose-colored glasses...and choose to look past minor flaws.

SENTIMENTALLY-CHALLENGED: And a final note on STs in general. First of all, do we have to call it SHARE time? Mr. Rogers would like it...and my mother would. But I would prefer something less blatantly schmaltzy. Like "chatter-fest" or "shmooze-time". I never knew we called it anything until this particular wedding...and then the word "share" just made me nervous. Which leads me to my next final note on STs which is that I hope no one is offended when I don’t say my piece on these occasions. I always think I will, but at the last minute I chicken out. It’s not that I don’t have sickeningly sweet things to add...but I am not emotionally stable at this point in my life. I recently got teary-eyed when I got a new mouse at work...so can you imagine the drama that would ensue if I had to get up and talk about my Ben? I mean years ago, I took pictures and videos of him and sent them to some studio to see if they’d cast him in their Dennis the Menace movie...so obviously I’m a doting aunt. But I just can’t "share" right now.

My incisive (intelligently analytical and concise) narrative on THE GAMES will have to wait for Part IV. If they end up making a movie of my blog, there’s a good chance my seventh wedding post will have to be shot in two parts.

I had my old standby for lunch today...tuna and wheat thins. Still delicious after all these weeks.