Today, our youngest son, J. P. is getting married. He is marrying a sweet and beautiful young lady named Jessica (everyone calls her "Jessi") Bivins. Like his old man, he traveled to South Muhlenberg County to find this jewel he chooses to spend the rest of his life with. I don't know if there's any particular reason for that but my friends always said I had to travel that far to find a girl who wasn't familiar with my "reputation." Hopefully, that's not the case here.
We have known Jessi for about four years now as that's how long they have been dating. He's 30 and she's 24 (yeah, I told him he's "robbing the cradle"). I was 26 when I "took the plunge," so he outlasted me by four years. Jessi has become so much a part of our life already that we have secretly thought of her (and even referred to her) as "Daughter in Law. Today will make it official, however.
She comes from "good stock" as my Dad used to say, meaning her family instilled good family values in her, just as we feel we did with J. P. She has always had a good work ethic and easily makes friends which is obvious in observing how well J. P.'s close friends have taken to her.
J. P. came up with a group of guys that have remained close even twelve years after their high school graduation. Many of them are friends he has met "along life's way," from college or other places. I remember when most of these boys were in the seventh grade attending Muhlenberg North Middle School, Pat would come home and tell me what a special group they were. They were typical teen-age boys but they were very close-knit, and although they maintained a "michievious" streak from time to time, they were a smart group and a good group of guys. As they grew older and some of them got married and went their separate ways, they still remain in close contact with each other and get together several times a year. Their wives all "hang out" with the other wives and girl friends. I sure hope their life continues on this path.
I don't know much about raising girls as all we had around the Sweatt households were boys. There were two of us in my family growing up and three sons in our family. I could always handle boys and pretty much knew what to expect from them. There never was a lot they did that "surprised" me but I never got them figured out 100% either. Pat, on the other hand, grew up with only two boys (both younger than her) and four sisters (making five girls in their family). Raising boys was a completely different experience to her but she managed to do it quite well. I'm proud of and love all of "My Three Sons."
A few years ago, a beautiful and smart little female came into our lives. Her name was Erin and she was the daughter of our "senior" daughter in law, Sylvia. Erin was something I wasn't familiar with at all. I always thought girls were supposed to be "delicate" and "soft-spoken," but man was I ever wrong. She was as energetic and rough as any boy I've ever been around, but with a huge dose of "sweetness." Getting boys lined out generally wasn't much of a problem to me. First of all, their "Mamma" could handle it most of the time but occasionally she needed to "bring me into the picture." Like my Dad before me, who only had to spank me "once," each of my boys got the same treatment. After that, all he (and I) really had to do was enter the room and give them the infamous "stare," (usually over the top of a pair of eyeglasses) and they pretty much came into line. It's a good thing too since once they turn about thirteen years old there's a 50/50 chance they could "whoop us" anyway. But girls....they're different. There's no way I could begin to even lightly "tap" a girl so therefore they are strictly products of their mothers. Dad's missions are to smother them with kindness, not to disclipine them. We are there to suggest to Mom how to disclipine them, not to do it ourselves. That's why most Sons are always referred to as "Boy," while girls are usually called nicknames like "Princess." Having Granddaughters proves this.
About the time we were getting used to Erin and her ways, along comes another Granddaughter, Mackenzie. She was pretty much like Erin but because Erin was already about three or four years old when she entered our lives, we weren't really sure what those years were like. Mackenzie has now given us an education in life. She also was "rough and tumble," with a touch of sweetness to "melt your heart." She knows her way around and is pretty much an expert in getting what she wants. I really haven't figured out if these are traits of "girls" or just "grandchildren" in general but I suspect the former.
Now, like Sylvia, Jessi will become the daughter we never had. Someone to give us (or at least me) a different perspective on life and someone for my wife to share "girl talk" with and go shopping with (or whatever else girls do).
So today is a very special day. The hard partying "frat-boy" image I had of my youngest son is gone now as he takes to the role of provider and family man. I like to think that when my life is done on this earth and I'm judged in part by how good of a parent and family person I was, our Creator will pat me on the back and say "Well Done My Son!" I can't think of any better legacy than that!
