CELEBRATING MY DAUGHTER’S BIG DAY

I am happy to report that one of my daughters got married just a few weeks ago. Dana and her now-husband, Cullen, live in Austin with their son, Finn, but they wanted to get married at San Francisco City Hall. Neither of them is from San Francisco, but Dana really loves the Bay Area. And I’ll admit, there’s a certain romance about San Francisco City Hall. It is a very goodlooking building, and there’s a lot of history, which is why it has become a popular wedding venue. After spending all day hearing depressing court cases, a lot of San Francisco judges say performing marriage ceremonies at City Hall is the best part of their job.

The wedding in San Francisco worked out great because our youngest daughter, Monica, lives out in Napa. My wife, Kaye, and I flew out to California early to visit Monica, her husband, Victor, and our grandkids, Hank and River. We spent some one-onone time with them and then Dana, Cullen, and Finn joined us the next day. Dana and Cullen got married that Monday, and it really was a beautiful ceremony. They were right about San Francisco City Hall being an ideal wedding venue.

The occasion was a little bittersweet due to the absence of our oldest daughter, Shelley, who is still teaching at a military base in South Korea, but Kaye sent her plenty of pictures. I had to get back to work the day after the wedding. Meanwhile, Kaye stayed an extra week to watch the grandkids so that Dana and Cullen could enjoy their honeymoon and Monica and Victor could have some time off, too.

Parents worry their kids will end up with someone terrible, but I have been very fortunate so far. Both of my daughters who have gotten married chose worthy partners. I like Cullen a lot. His parents are wonderful people, and Cullen is a good guy and a great dad to Finn. Plus, he makes Dana very happy, and that’s the most important thing. We’re pleased to have Cullen as part of our family.

It was wonderful to see my daughter get married to someone she loves, but my favorite part of the trip was getting to spend time with my family. My girls are pretty spread out these days, and while I am proud of them for building amazing lives for themselves, I do miss the times when I would see them every day. But the distance makes the time we get to spend with family all the more special, and it’s why we look for any opportunity to see our loved ones.

This month, we’re heading up to Chicago for a GKIC conference, and afterward Kaye and I will be swinging by Wisconsin to visit her side of the family. We’ll spend a few days there before retreating back to the warmer weather in Texas. And with Thanksgiving fast approaching, I’m looking forward to other opportunities to spend time with my family this holiday season.