Husband and Wife

It was Saturday, August 27th at 5:30 p.m.

There were occasional raindrops on the usually calm water of the Mullica River in Sweetwater.

The clouds hung over the wooden pergola festooned with a colorful swag of fresh flowers, the wooden walkway from the entrance and the grassy seating area were damp. 

Grateful as we were for the cooperative weather, nothing could have tarnished the joy of the day. 

Nothing.

For many months, daughter Erica and her family and friends had planned her wedding. Meticulous as she is, every detail was listed, followed up, crossed off and ready for execution.

Covid had spoiled the plan for a 2020 wedding, but when the big day finally arrived, the wait, the planning, the angst, the joy...all of it...fell neatly into place.

She was radiantly beautiful. The gown she chose suited her perfectly. Its train with a brocaded finish followed her every move. Her fingertip veil, clipped to a chignon hairdo, floated along with every turn of her head. 

Above all, her smile, the hint of tears shimmering in her eyes every now and then...they told the story of how deeply in love with Andy she is. 

We are very blessed. Andrew Joseph Wilson, a retired police officer and father to Miranda, came into Erica's life at Cherokee High School, where she has taught for 24 years. As a security guard in the high school, Andy's path crossed hers often. They discovered mutual likes (the Flyers, Star Wars, dogs and cats...mostly the beach). It didn't take long for them to know what everyone who observed them knew.

They were a rare, perfect match.

Howard and I often fretted over the possibility that Erica would be alone when we were gone. Now that concern is a thing of the past. Andy will be Erica's rock and her comfort, as she will be to him.

A mother wants nothing more than the happiness of her children. Sometimes, that isn't always in the cards and then we share in their struggles and pain.

But on a day like Saturday, when joy surrounded everyone who witnessed the marriage and the celebration that followed, this mom's heart was light and filled with gratitude. 

Erica and Andy, wife and husband, are bound together for life...a happy, fulfilling, rich and beautiful life.

Two spectral guests at the wedding

 My mother's best friend was Jean Stewart Thoms. She and her husband Bill, both flower growers in Galloway Township, closed out the sale of their farm and settled on the banks of the Mullica River in Sweetwater, NJ. I was probably about twelve when they made the move.

Aunt Jean and Uncle Bill were frequent visitors to our house, where Uncle Bill's booming voice and propensity toward colorful language always made me, good Catholic little girl that I was, cringe in disapproval. Still, I loved them both.

When Uncle Bill died in 2002, Aunt Jean had friends and family to count on, as we visited often. On later occasions, when my girls were grown and away, Aunt Jean and I would walk the few steps north to the Sweetwater Casino restaurant, an old standby for residents of the area. It was quaint, old-fashioned and beautiful, sitting as it did on the banks of the river looking at diners' boats moored at the docks.

I don't know the exact date, but sometime in the early 2000s, the Sweetwater Casino burned to the ground. I remember Aunt Jean telling me she could see the flames from her house. We all mourned the loss of the beloved landmark.

Aunt Jean died in 2010 of a stroke suffered in her doctor's office as she waited for a routine visit. She never returned to that beautiful cottage by the water and attorneys sealed the house and disposed of its contents. But that's another story.

Uncle Bill, Aunt Jean Thoms, Me and Erica

 Fast forward to 2020. Daughter Erica and her fiance,    Andy Wilson, had set a tentative wedding date (Covid  considered) and were searching for a venue to host their  nuptials. 

We visited several...from gorgeous homes in Cape May to windswept dune locations in West Cape May to an abandoned railroad yard converted to a wedding venue. Also another story.

But nothing worked. Too expensive, too big, too remote, too-something. 

On one of my sleepless nights, I lay awake wondering if anyone had ever rebuilt the Sweetwater Casino. It would be such a lovely place for a wedding! So Erica checked it out and, lo and behold! a young couple had purchased the site, rebuilt a new and modern version of the restaurant AND an event venue!We visited that weekend and fell in love with the beauty of the ballroom, the efficiency of the staff and, most of all, the stunning vistas of the river. 

Planning is over now. On the 27th of this month (August, 2022), Andy and Erica will exchange their vows and host a smashing party for their families and many friends. There's a beautiful balcony that extends the width of the ballroom and overlooks the river, the marina and the island across the span. If you stand at the southern end of the balcony, you can see the boat slip and front yard of the Thoms' house, now occupied by strangers.

But Erica and I know that at 5:30 on the 27th, my mother and dad and their best friends Jean and Bill will be standing on the dock at water's edge watching her marry the man of her dreams. Their names are not on the guest list, but they will be there and our family celebration will be complete.