Sarah, smile!

Today I had the pleasure of being in the San Antonio temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with Sarah, one of my former Laurel class members when I was a Young Women's advisor a few years ago. What a special day it was to see how Sarah has grown and progressed in the past four years, and to be going through the temple, preparing for her upcoming wedding on Saturday. She was truly one of the most amazing young women when she moved to Austin from West Virginia the summer before starting her senior year of high school, very easy to love, and I wished that there were a dozen more, just like her. She has always been the kind of person that I hoped my daughter would be like some day, whom I really looked up to and appreciated for her talent of including everyone, frequently organizing fun youth get togethers.

This morning, I got to meet her darling fiancé, Dustin. They seem like the perfect pair, and I could not be more happy for the two of them. What made it more special is that Sarah was previously engaged to someone else, a little more than a half a year ago, but she broke it off a few days before the wedding. She didn't feel right about it, and kept having a battle from within about the relationship, and finally came to terms with those feelings as awkward as it was. The soon-to-be former groom and Sarah had actually flown in to town for the wedding, that never did occur. Her mother and others scrambled to spread the word that the marriage had been called off, and the college students went back to school, and life went on.

Sarah had known Dustin since she was about 12 or 13 years old, and last night at her lovely bridal shower, hosted by Jackie and Lonna, she told the story about how her prince charming had come back into her life. When he found out she was about to be engaged, he was very saddened. He still was not over Sarah, and never really stopped loving her from their high school dating time in West Virginia, and was even her date to the junior prom. Discouraged but still thoughtful of her, Dustin prayed that regardless of whom she would be marrying, that Sarah would potentially be happy, and that she would end up with the right guy. Somehow, his prayer was magically answered, not unlike a fairytale, and Sarah did not even fully understand why the first guy had not worked out. It now makes sense. What a love story this will be forever. They're heading to Washington, D.C., tomorrow for their wedding this weekend, and I wish the two of them an eternity of joy and happiness together. And plenty of red-headed babies, as Sarah's mother gleefully wished at a toast for the smiling bride-to-be!