Giving Away

“Settle everyone, please settle. I’d like to thank all of you for coming and for dressing so nicely for my angel Veronica’s special day. Before I get started, I must humbly thank Trivia Corp for funding this wedding; we’re all eternally thankful for this act of gratitude. Now, Veronica - don’t laugh! Is your big man making a speech that funny to you? Alright, alright - well my angel Veronica, and you really do look like an angel today - was that why your mother was taking so long to leave your changing room? I feel sorry for the poor hair stylist; she’s probably curled up in the corner in tears after doing all that thingy-ma-bobby. I’m only joking, love, but you do look beautiful. Oh gentlemen, you missed your shot!

Now this is my first wedding speech, and I must say it’s such an honor for my first time giving away a daughter to be at such a lovely event. Veronica, nothing less for you my sweetheart. I was a little worried when it came to searching for wedding receptions, that’s why I’m so glad your mother took the lead. Knowing my angel she’d be fretting over the exact degree the forks curve at, and, Lord knows I have patience, but not enough for that! So once again, thank you to the bride’s mother for taking that job out of this old man’s hands.

But Veronica does have this attention to detail, this level of intricacy, that I know will follow her through to married life. She’ll be a great wife, and a great mother. She always picks up on the smallest things - whether you’re upset or angry - and she’ll pick at you and pick at you until you’re forced to open up to her. That’s why she’s an angel. She’ll go lengths no man - or woman, pardon me - has ever taken to make you feel loved. Harry, I’m sure, knows this too, but I promise you, son, that you will never feel any less than adored with your newly-wedded wife. So you better put in some work to return that!

For someone to have this amount of love, it’s almost… supernatural. Even as a child she’d be pushing her teddy bears into my hands if she saw me just a tad bit stressed. Something I see her sisters have taken after - can someone pick up Alice’s rabbit? Great, thank you, Chuck.

Veronica, Harry, I’ll wish you luck but I know it’s not something you’ll need. Both of you love like a bonfire, burning slow and steady but with so much warmth. You’ll both lead promising lives in each other’s company. I know you’ll cherish each other so dearly in marriage, just as you do now. You’ve made your old man so proud, truly, and you all know I’m not one to cry. You’ve really put my mind at rest, both your mother and I, knowing I’m giving away my angel to a relationship that will feel like Heaven. And I thank you for that. Now, a toast please, to the bride and groom!”

“Oh Alice. Alice, Alice, Alice. When did you grow up so quickly, huh? Your old man’s giving away another daughter so soon! Thank you all for coming once more, and Alice you truly look gorgeous. I’m such a lucky man, I am, to have such beautiful daughters. When I was writing this speech I was struggling to decide which great thing, out of many, I should focus on, but I came to the conclusion that we should look at new beginnings.

I’ll be honest, I got a little nervous when my little girl fell in love so quickly. Your mother was very worried, wasn’t she? Just turned 17 and met a guy in her first week of school, can you believe? But once we’d actually met him we knew we were fools to worry. Now you’re 23 and 6 years have passed, and I feel so excited for you that it feels like I’m the one getting married! All these bright ambitions the bride and the groom have - setting up your business, the house on the bay with the dog. Don’t worry about Australia, you’ll be there sooner than you think. This current situation is just a little speed-bump that’ll be dealt with soon, but thank you for staying behind for a bit and helping me find my feet. Whatever you will do, whatever you create together, you will do well in, and I couldn’t be prouder of my Alice and John.

I know that good fortune will follow you in your new beginning because good fortune follows good people. I’ve watched my baby grow into a beautiful, kind, and strong-willed woman, and I couldn’t be any prouder to be giving her away to a man as loving and passionate as our John here. Keep each other in your hearts and throw yourself at whatever life throws at you, hands clasped together in your matrimony. Whatever you do, I know you’ll do it in love, because you two have a love that’s so special that love itself is jealous. John has been a lucky man for these past 6 years, and now he will be a luckier one, and Alice is just as lucky. Both of you lead such great example of how one should love, an example that I imagine your future children and little sister, Ruby, will follow to the book. Your mother would be so proud of you, Alice. Now a toast, to the bride and the groom!”

“When we were naming little Ruby we tried to think of the most beautiful thing to name her after. There’s lots of beautiful things in the world - for instance we could’ve called you Veronica, or Alice, or even Mary, whose sat there so well-behaved on her mummy’s lap, but we decided to go with Ruby because we wanted our daughter to have the unwavering assurance and resolution as a ruby does. We wanted our daughter to be confident, to be strong - for her to take in the light of optimism around her, no matter how dim, and let it light her up and reflect back out.

Ruby, many things have changed these past years but you have stayed so resilient throughout them all. You were only 13 when your mother passed, but you never let it slow you down - you simply did things in her stead. When your old man lost the job, and when we had to move into this little flat, you never complained. You never complained when you had to start working to provide for us, and you never complained that your sisters got grand wedding halls but we had to do this wedding in the living room. You never complained when we got the diagnosis. Just like the Ruby we named you after, you took what little positives remained and made something beautiful, something encouraging, just by letting it light you up, and letting us see it through your smile, through your kindness, and giving us the strength to be as positive as you.

I don’t know what I’ve done to be deserving of 3 of these girls, who stayed when things got tough, and I don’t think anything I can do, or even wish for you, will even scratch the surface of all you’ve done for me. But while I may not have much to give, I can offer what I know; that is if love were money you’d be the richest girl alive. This abundance you will give to your new husband, our Andrew here, and your future family. This love will be as beautiful and humble as the love you’ve given us all already. Your soul is as pure as Holy Water. Your heart is even purer.

Good luck to your marriage, although I have no concerns to direct my luck to. I hope the way I’ve sent you off, Ruby, compensates for even a fraction of how much you’ve given me. Thank you, little Ruby. Now, please, a toast the bride and the groom!”