Ever since my brother got engaged 4 months ago, I have been thinking about my rehearsal dinner toast. But every time I sit down to write, my attempts come up feebly short and I go back to mainlining M&Ms and coffee. I can count on one hand the number of times in my life that I have been at a loss for words (this is the fourth in case you’re curious) and I don’t know why. It might be because I subconsciously feel the need to overcompensate for the absence of our witty and eloquent father, who no doubt would have given the greatest toast ever. It might be because I am trying to figure out how to get through the whole thing without blubbering.
Summer Crushes
Oh the summer crush. There is nothing like it. I don’t know whether it’s the potentially fleeting nature of the relationship that makes it so intense. Perhaps a summer crush is special because it is accompanied by the exhilaration of seasonal freedom. Unlike the other nine months of the year, reason and obligation take a backseat to the vagaries of the heart in the summer. Maybe everything is amplified by warmer temperatures and the heady smells of suntan lotion, chlorine, and french fries from the snack bar. Whatever the reason, in the summer you sit a little closer, gaze a little longer, giggle a little louder, and love a little harder.