The One - A Speech for Stephen and Margaret's Wedding

Stephen and Margaret Wadsworth

What seems like a few short years ago, computers stood six feet tall, and required special raised-floor computer rooms. We were so proud of our technology back then, that we put thick glass windows on all sides of these computer rooms so everyone could stare in wide wonder at the blinking lights inside, humbled by our massive compute power.

After being away from the office for several weeks, on this particular day, I was back at work, and catching up with my crew. We were hanging out in the hallway behind the computer room— remember, the one with the glass windows on all sides—when all the sudden something caught the corner of my eye, and it wasn’t the blinking lights.

Unconsciously, my head spun, my twenty-something eyeballs bored a hole right through that first pane of thick glass, through the computer room, and through the second pane of thick glass, and landed on…

Her.

Whoa.

Without a thought, I blurted, “That’s THE ONE.”

Out loud.

With a bunch of guys standing around looking at me like I was nuts.

No…I mean literally, right there, staring across an ice cold computer room, past the blinking lights, through two panes of thick safety glass, I fell head over heels in love…with her.

“What?” they asked.

“That one, she’s THE ONE. I am going to marry that one,” I burbled.

“Which one?” someone asked.

“The tall blonde one with the amazing…”

“That one? Keep dreamin’. . . That girl wouldn’t give you the time of day. Waaay out of your league!” another replied.

“And she’s got a rock on her finger the size of Everest. She’s taken,” they warned.

“Doesn’t matter, she’s THE ONE. She’s mine, and I am marrying her. Just watch.”

Absolutely true story.

In one magic moment, everything that ever happened in the past, to either of us, came together to put us on either side of two panes of glass in Newton, Massachusetts—all the trouble, heartache, failures, success. . . the schoolyard scrapes, the graduation gowns. . .

Seriously—think about it—if not for that one insane moment dribblety-X years ago, none of us would be here in this room tonight.

But, both of our individual stories did come together at exactly that moment, and nothing has ever been the same since.

And people say life is just a random set of events?

No way.

When you know, you just know.

Which brings me to these two. (finally)

Are they just ridiculously, ludicrously, absurdly in love with each other or what?

When we first met Maggie, we just knew she was THE ONE. We all fell in love with her at first sight.

But more than us loving her, we knew instantly, she and Stephen loved each other.

They really do a lousy job of hiding that don’t they?

So damn cute…

But also reassuring.

Because they remind us of the best in ourselves.

Ah, to be twenty-something—handsome and beautiful, productive and successful.

To be in love, and to have the whole world ahead of us . . . the mortgages, the diapers, teething, Disneyworld . . . with kids . . . during school vacation, schoolyard scrapes, graduation gowns . . .

Kid’s weddings.

The reason we smile when we look at them, all googly eyed and kissy faced over there, is because their love is so pure, so inescapable, and so irrepressible that it reminds us there is good in the world…

In our Judeo-Christian tradition, we believe this form of agape love originates from God, from his love for mankind. And, we know, it is a rare gift.

So, when we experience such deep abiding love, whether in ourselves or in others, it reminds us that, indeed, there is God in the world.

Thank you both for sharing your love with us so generously. Experiencing it through you, and with you, is truly good for our souls.

Please raise your glasses with me.

Thanks to Jeff and Trish and everyone on Margaret’s side of the aisle for raising such an amazing woman. We love ‘every little inch of her’ almost as much as you do.

And thank you—Mags—for loving Stephen as much as, or maybe more, if that’s even possible, than we love him.

We are very happy for you both, and very excited each of you have found, THE ONE.

Cheers!

The New Wadsworth Family