hope's toast part 1

hope had the honor of toasting jon and grace at their wedding on september 2, 2007.

"I often have the fear that my view of love has been tainted by one too many Hollywood love stories. Sometimes I forget that Jack and Rose were never really on the Titanic or that Cary Grant never waited on top of the Eiffel tower for Deborah Kerr in An Affair to Remember. I have found myself rewinding the scene in Spiderman when Mary Jane kisses Peter Parker as he hangs upside down in the rain. When I eventually snap back into reality I have to remind myself that love isn't really like that.

If I want to look at what love really loves like--I don't have to look far. I have been given the blessed opportunity to watch my best friend fall head over heals in love. I'll never forget the day when I left my phone in my car for a few hours two years ago. I came back to get it and noticed I had 8 missed calls and 5 new voicemails--all from Grace. I thought someone had died. But just the opposite happened. The beginning of a love story began to unfold that day. Jon told Grace he liked her and wanted to be with her--despite what seemed to be bad timing. Fortunately for Grace and Jon, love knows no timing.

For two years I was able to witness love take its course--from the first kiss to the first I-love-you to the tears shed over the distance of the relationship. I heard about the fights and the make ups, the surprises and the sacrifices, and the cost and reward it takes to care for another human being.

I heard about the time Grace got pulled over when she was speeding to see Jon, and I've seen Grace unable to sleep at night when she didn't receive her goodnight phone call from him. I've seen Jon learn one of Grace's favorite songs overnight so he could play it for her at a show. I remember when Grace came home from Oklahoma and Jon surprised her by coming out of the closet..."

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• reception
• grace
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