My Toast to Cecilia and Amy

I had the distinct honor of giving a toast at my little sister's wedding this past weekend.   I enjoyed the hell out of it, so I thought I'd post it here.  If anyone got this on video, by the way, I'd love to see how I did:

That's right.  I used an iPad.  Shut up.

Hi everyone, my name is Mike and I'm the brother of the brides.  When I first found out Cecilia and Amy wanted to get married, I let them know I'd be doing this toast. I immediately had a thousand great ideas, and I immediately this morning started to write them down.  At which point I realized I couldn't remember any great ideas, so, being a lawyer, I decided to call in a couple experts.

What follows is a transcript of the expert testimony sworn to by Maeve Garvey, age 5, and Adelaide Garvey, age 3.

Me: why do you love Cecilia and Amy?
Maeve: I love Cecilia and Amy because they are the best aunts.  I love them because they are sweet and funny. I love them because they hold me when I am sad let me sleep at their house and they make me feel happy.
Addie: I love dogs!
Maeve: no Addie, we have to say why we love Cecilia and Amy.
Addie: oh.  I love Cecilia and Amy because of their dogs.  And they have dogs and we ride the dogs and we are friends with the dogs.

Me: what is your favorite memory of Cecilia and Amy?
Maeve: my favorite memory of Amy is that I got a cut on my foot and she put ice on my foot and then I feel better now.  And my favorite memory of Cecilia is when we went to Disneyworld.
Me: Cecilia took you to Disneyworld?
Maeve: not yet.
Me: so what is your favorite memory with aunt Cecilia?  What have you actually done with her?
Maeve: I've never done anything with Cecilia.
Me: oh please. Cecilia takes you lots of places.
Maeve: but never to Disneyworld.

Me: Addie, what's your favorite memory about aunt Amy?
Addie: we went on a nature walk and caught a frog and we named the frog mary.
Me: that's very nice! how about Cecilia?
Addie: No we did not find any frogs named Cecilia.

Me: close your eyes and think of Cecilia and Amy.  Tell me what you see.
Maeve: nothing.
Me: nothing? Why?
Maeve: because my eyes are closed.
Me: no, I mean what do you see in your mind when you think about Cecilia and Amy? Describe them for me.
Maeve: Blowing bubbles with Cecilia and Amy in our backyard.  Amy and Cecilia are together.
Addie: I see Amy and she is holding me and Cecilia is holding Miles. Oh and Julia.  Oh and Ellie and Clark.  Aunt Amy is holding me and Cecilia is holding everyone else and getting me cotton candy.  Pink cotton candy.
Me: Cotton candy? where are you in this situation?
Addie: Disneyworld.

Me: Why are you happy Cecilia and Amy are getting married?

First, some background. Last night, Cecilia gave me this tie, which is better than the one she gave Louis.  She also gave me a card that said she has always looked up to me and now she also looks up to me and Lisa as role models because we have a good marriage.  Cecilia, Maeve's response to this question is exactly why Lisa and I are happy and exactly why you guys are going to be happy for a long, long time.

Me: Why are you happy Cecilia and Amy are getting married?
Maeve: Because they're friends.

The strength and nature of your relationship is so obvious, even a five year old can see it.  On a side note, congratulations to the members of the New York State legislative body, who have proven they are at least as smart as a five year old.

Amy, my sister, you're the best.  I love how much Cecilia loves you, how much you obviously love Cecilia, how much your family obviously loves you. As we saw last night during your father's speech, family means a lot to you.  In case you haven't figured this out yet, you just doubled up. By marrying my sister, you've married into a huge group of crazies who love you like we've known you forever.  On behalf of the Garveys, the Dubuissons, the Eagans, the Battaglias, etc., welcome to the family.  You're our friend too.  Well, except for Addie, who, when asked why she was happy that you were going to be part of the family, answered "because she's my buddy."

Cecilia, I've almost always loved having you as a little sister.  Even when I was pretty sure you were a little brother named Robert.  Growing up, I know I wasn't the easiest to get along with, but I always loved you.  From childhood, when we did plays in the basement where you dressed up as a chicken and laid a nest full of pool balls, to our teens years when we did drama club together, to riding the bus together and the driver always called you cemeilia, to your move to Toronto, to your move to New York, to the day you told me you were going to marry the woman you love.  You say you've always looked up to me, but the strength you've shown by following your heart despite incredible adversity, well, I look up to you.  And I would be the happiest dad in the world if my daughters grow up with exactly the same strength.

So everyone, raise your drinks and help me congratulate Cecilia and Amy.  We love you, we love you together, and we love that apparently you're going to take us all to Disneyworld someday.  Cheers!"

Both the pics in this post from Jeff Palm Photography, by the way.