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Dad: The Wedding Speech

This week, I find myself thinking about my maternal grandfather more often that I normally do. He has not been in the best shape since, I dunno, 2005. Right now, he and my grandmother live in our house far, far away in Metro Manila to be close to his primary physician.

Mommy and her siblings acknowledge that Dad, as we all call him, that he’s getting weaker and weaker. I find it so hard for me to concede to this fact. No offense to my other grandfather who is also currently under close medical care, but how do I have the strength to acknowledge the fact that the only grandfather I came to know is now the frail old man that my brother visits on weekends. I can’t even bring myself to consider the thought.

As I think of him, I always see myself as the 4-year-old that he used to tuck into bed as with the tales of Persius and Andromeda, Medusa and the Kraken, Oedipus, Moby Dick, Achilles, King Lear, Jesus and many, many more. No, he never used books. He narrated them as he remembered.

I find myself one of the luckiest people on earth to be, not only one of his descendants, but one of the recipients of his wisdom, time, care and love. And I am very thankful that he, a remarkable speaker, was able to share a few words at my wedding, which I am now sharing with our reading.

Ladies and Gentlemen, good evening.

I think not many grandfathers would cross the Pacific Ocean to attend a granddaughter’s wedding and I think seldom, if ever, would they be asked to speak at the wedding.

But Ms C wants me to do both things – to be here and to say something. Well, it is not nice to disappoint a bride for any reason. And maybe this is her way of trying to make me feel special, the same way she has always been special to me and to all of us.

And so, all things considered, I am here, humbled and honored by the opportunity. And indeed I am very happy to witness personally the wedding ceremony and once again to be with everybody.

Before I go on, however, I would like to congratulate the parents, the families, the relatives and friends from both sides of the aisle for their spontaneous gesture of mutual respect, goodwill and cordial relations in bringing about this grand celebration – the glamour and the charm of which we lovingly dedicate to Um and Ms C.

I also wish to express gratitude and appreciation to the distinguished personalities in attendance, the sponsors, guests, friends and well-wishers who are here tonight to lend dignity and prestige, and to grace this occasion with their presence and eloquence.

Somebody said, “All is well that ends well”, which also implies that from the beginning to the end, something in between did not go well.

With all the splendor and glory, all the colorful pageantry, what possibly could that be – not that much serious, so I hope – but let me just point out my own personal observation: The elements and/or components of a happy and well-founded family life include children, love and marriage, but not necessarily in that order because, at lease four generations ago, customs and traditions would have mandated love and marriage before children.

For reasons beyond their control, Um and Ms C reversed the system. Um was at the height of his stabilizing his career and profession while Ms C, on the other hand, was caught in the middle of an immigration process as she was trying to work out permanent residency of the family abroad. So the wedding has to be postponed or delayed. Delays, however, are not necessarily non-compliance.

In the meantime, our first set of great grandchildren came along as a heavenly blessing, but somehow, there remains the lingering feeling that something is missing – the wedding.

And so by whatever norm or standard you profess, I say that you, Um and Ms C, at the start, you may not have done all the things right, but in the end, with this wedding, with this celebration of the holy sacrament of matrimony making you husband and wife in the eyes of God and men, I now can say finally that you have done all the right things.

Along this line of thinking, therefore, your grandmother and I are wishing you good luck, good health and prosperous living, heartily, lovingly and graciously grant our blessings. And to our dear great grandchildren, Captain Awesome and Little HRH, a double blessing.“All is well that ends well.”

Congratulations.