The first week of October was a big week for our family. My lovely daughter Lisa married her best friend Riley on Friday afternoon at a beautiful church in downtown Indianapolis. Early morning rain yielded to scattered sun and pleasant temperatures in time for a wonderful reception in Carmel in a glass-enclosed garden pavilion where a good time was had by all. Italians are certainly emotional people, but I think we did a good job keeping the tears to a minimum. Lisa almost lost it as she made her way down the long church aisle in my arm, but she rallied nicely.

Jean and I did need a handkerchief as the happy couple said their vows. Then there was the Dad’s toast. We had been taking bets on whether I would make it through my remarks without a melt-down, but the bet came off the board when absolutely nobody bet on me making it through.

I opened the festivities with a few welcoming comments, then introduced the bridal party, our guests of honor and several VIPs. I then began my toast, which got off to a disconcerting start when my voice caught on the very first sentence. But I muscled through and didn’t have much problem until near the end. During the toast I talked about the one quality that impresses me most about my daughter. Lisa is an incredibly creative, artistic person. She began drawing amazing things at a very young age, devouring paper and paint, pencils, markers on a daily basis. She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Indiana University and works as a graphic designer. As astounded as I am at her artistic talent, that is not the thing that impresses me most about her. It is the fact that she is one of the most persistent and determined people I know. Even as a child she was definitive about her needs/wants and was unstoppable in obtaining them. Jean told her that she was persistent as a small child and taught her the word. “Can you say ‘Persistent’, Lisa?”  She would come home from Kindergarten and first grade with her fill-in-the-blank introductory assignment filled out: I AM Persistent.

I admire persistence. In fact, I told the crowd that I have had a framed quote from Calvin Coolidge hanging in my office since before Lisa was born:

“Persistence and Determination alone are omnipotent.”  I love that. In fact, I had it as a signature line in my emails for a minute. It is so true. The best people I’ve ever worked with were not necessarily the most talented, the smartest, or best educated. But they were always the most determined people who would identify an objective and fight through any obstacles in their way. They were persistent in their efforts, rallied other people to join in, and always had their eyes on the end game. And in the process, because of what they learned or accomplished, they developed into the most talented, and others learned from them. People like John and Jon. Davina. Susie and Melanie. Laura and Alyssa. Jason. And many others who know exactly who there are. And my Lisa is in this group as she navigates challenges in her life and always pushes through. When I read this plaque now; I think of my daughter.

Well, the toast finally ended and I held it together. We had a great celebration with people from coast to coast and points in between. My brothers came in from New York. Lisa’s cousins came in from California, Florida, New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Washington, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, and NW Indiana. My buddy Frank (remember him?) and his wife came in from Virginia. Lisa’s friends came from Utah, Michigan, Chicago and all over Indiana. We are thankful for the efforts made by our guests to share in this day.

The reception ended with a fire-dancer performance by several of Lisa’s friends and many folks headed over to the after-party which lasted into the wee hours.  The next day we hosted a brunch at our house. The weather was glorious so many of the 80 or so folks enjoyed outdoor games while the kids played on the swing set. Luckily, Jean is a master chef and prepared many casseroles in advance, and my brothers and their supremely capable wives really helped get things going. This was designed to be a quick brunch for those who would be travelling back home, but I need to tell you about the family that I was fortunate enough to marry into. Jean is from a large family headed by two of the most amazing people I know. Most of them live about 2.5 hours away in NW Indiana. I will tell you more about her incredible parents and the whole family in a Thanksgiving blog because that is most appropriate, and I assure you that you will be amazed. What is relevant here is the fact that they simply cannot get enough of each other. Although there were friends and other family at the brunch, it was mostly Jean’s family. And the ‘brunch’ lasted from 10am to 4 pm! Yes, there were a few naps in cribs and blankets for the kids, and even more in chairs and couches for the adults. There were several rotations of food and lots of talk and laughter. And when everyone was on their way, we basked in the satisfaction of a memorable weekend.

Lisa and Riley are now on their honeymoon at a great resort in Punta Cana. Just a few days after the wedding IKEA held its Grand Opening, so I look forward to telling you about that craziness. Thanks for reading.

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