It’s official. “Jim & Squid Forever” according to the letter board propped amongst Champagne glasses and plated cheesecake on a festive kitchen island. While friends and family secretly gathered in the warmth of an older brother’s kitchen, Jimmy took a knee on snow-packed ground on a wildly windy winter evening, the day before the eve of Christmas. And she said YES.
Jimmy’s first introduction to Minnesota was face-first in a snow drift. Eight years prior to his winter-wonderland proposal he’d left his childhood home on the sunny equator and arrived on foreign soil, albeit frozen, in mid-January. Pulling into the driveway for the very first time at the residence of his new family, he self-initiated a winter welcome with a face-down snow angel. And this would be the defining quality of our Jimmy. The young man is all in.
He’s been all-in for Sidney since partway through his junior year of high school, when she won him over by becoming his most tenaciously loyal friend. You might even say Sidney’s chutzpah was Jimmy’s salvation. He’d been going through a rough stretch, but Sid saw in our son the heroic qualities that had long been obvious to his Mom and Dad. And Sid never gave up. Still hasn’t.
Which is how two of the most strong-willed young people I’ve ever loved have come to be engaged to each other.
Years ago when my boys were young, if someone had told me a son of mine would someday marry Sidney Manske—I’d have said, of course he would. But never in my wildest dreams would I have ever dreamed…Jimmy.
Jimmy—tall, dark, and stunning. Jimmy—brilliant and resilient. Jimmy—hard working and resourceful. Jimmy—full of fierce determination.
Jimmy—my son.
Not the fruit of my womb, but the fruit of a God who gives the very best gifts. I’m overwhelmed by the goodness that brought me my son.
They’ll make an amazing couple. Jimmy & Sidney. Determined & Tenacious. Both synonyms of steadfast, and steadfast love is the heart of every lasting commitment. The hesed of the covenant promise…love that always fights FOR and never against.
And someday…maybe…no pressure…all that steadfast tenacious determination will be passed along to a seriously feisty (and undoubtably adorable) little offspring. Yikes.
So. 2023 will be the year of a dream-come-true wedding. Not dreamy in a big-budget sort of way…but more like a true-to-life fairytale love story. Two wills joined forever by the will of God.
Jim & Sid Forever.
Amen.
