When Jody, our oldest daughter married, I was feeling great up until we started down the aisle.  At that point, I was absolutely overwhelmed by emotion and couldn’t keep from sobbing.  This emotional release shocked me.  By the time Stacey got married, I was a savvy "Father of the Bride Club" member.  I expected to be moved as we walked down the aisle.  In fact, to be prepared I had my wife, Bonnie, hold a box of tissues for me in our pew.  Sure enough, the emotions welled up, but at least this time they were expected and I was prepared.

Well, Lori (our youngest and last to marry) and Mike were married this last summer, and I was "seasoned" and ready for this one.  However, late the night before the wedding and just before we were both headed to our beds we began to talk in the kitchen (everyone had gone up to bed at this point).  We ended up destroying a box of Kleenex.  The next day before the wedding we found ourselves in the bride preparation room together and, of course, the tears began again.

The walk down the aisle was going to be a little different.  Lori asked both Bonnie and I to walk her down the aisle.  Before we started Lori told Bonnie, "Please don’t cry mom, because if you start crying, I won’t be able to control myself."  So, as we started down the aisle, Bonnie put on a strong smile face.  Well, Lori and I didn’t get a foot off and the waterfalls began.  Of course, Bonnie didn’t know this until we reached the end of the aisle and we all turned to kiss and hug Lori and turn her over to our new son-in-law.  Bonnie was sure she came across as the coldhearted mother, happy to get rid of her youngest daughter.

I know every father of a bride understands these emotions and while we can’t explain them, we know they can’t be suppressed.  The first time I was exposed to these "Father of the Bride" emotions was when I watched a friend of mine walk his daughter down the aisle.  Stan was an ex-Marine, a veteran of the Korean War and was one of those poor souls who had to fight from behind enemy lines in the dead of winter with nothing more than newspaper shoved under their clothes to keep warm.  He also was a construction foreman on the Chicago deep tunnel project.  Stan was as tough as they come.  You should have seen him bawl coming down the aisle.  Since Stan was Stan, I was afraid to ask him about him losing it.

What have I learned?  It’s a wonderful emotional experience to walk your daughter down the aisle and present her to her new husband.  I am so blessed to have had that experience. I don’t feel weak because I cried.  I feel fulfilled. Maybe some day a psychologist will explain to me what actually happens to a father in this situation.  For you fathers’ of daughters who have not yet walked down the aisle, you now have a "heads up."  Hopefully, you now have some valuable insight into a remarkable experience.  Go with it.  Enjoy it.  And, keep the Kleenex handy.

Sincerely,