Last weekend, Lee and I attended the wedding of a close, personal friend, Michael Rouse and his bride-to-be, Karina in Palm Beach, Florida. In fact, Lee was one of the groomsman. We are both so utterly and completely happy for the couple! It soon became apparent this would be the most elegant wedding we had ever attended. It was a traditional Catholic ceremony set in a historical church with every detail attended to with grace and reverence. Before being swept away with the grandeur of the event, the groom’s sister delivered the most heart-felt speech I have ever heard. Her cerebral palsy did nothing to stop her from expressing her pure love for her brother and new sister, as well as her other brother and family members. There are some speeches where I may dab the corners of my eyes with a tissue; then there are the lovely ones where I unabashedly wipe the tears from under my chin with the back of my hand.
As the ceremony ended, we slowly made our way to the back of the church, getting ready to attend the reception at another location. Lee was speaking to another couple and I heard Nick’s name in the discussion. Lee introduced me and the woman placed her hand on mine, asking – “Was it your son that was mentioned in the program?” I said, “What? I don’t have my glasses with me so I haven’t been able to read the program.” She lent me hers and I proceeded to read:
“We won’t forget Nick Raitt, son of Lori & Lee Brower, who was the founder of Wacky Warriors and who lost his battle with cancer on 6.2.11 at the age of 22.”
I said, “Yes, this is our son, but I didn’t know Michael & Karina included him,” as the tears rolled. What an amazing gift! I had imagined Nick up in the balcony, with his chin resting on his hand, smiling as he observed the beauty of the evening. Michael had been an avid supporter of Nick, hosting Wacky Warriors at a Philadelphia Broad Street Run event. He had also invited Nick to visit his ESF team directors and set up the opportunity for our whole family to meet the Philadelphia Flyers pro hockey team. Michael and his family had a mass especially dedicated for Nick when learning of his passing. Obviously, we love Michael, Karina and personal and professional family very much.
Before we flew home after the big event, Lee decided to take a jog. He came back to the hotel and mentioned he saw something interesting on his jogging route. He suggested a while later that we go take a walk. While walking, we were reminiscing about how wonderful it was for Michael & Karina to include Nick in their wedding program. We smiled as we pictured Nick at the church, but I could feel anxiety building up. I was feeling like I was going to see Nick just around the corner and it was growing almost into a panic attack so I quickly talked myself back down, not to be so silly. Just then, Lee told me to close my eyes as he led me a few steps towards the trees. Here is what I saw:
How Lee managed to find this gift from the jogging trail is beyond me. It is nearly invisible until you walk right up to the tree. “Crazy…” is all I could say over and over again. “Crazy…” and then I cried all the way back to our hotel.
