We Welcomed Another Kennon to the Family

A year ago, I posted a picture of my younger brother secretly flying to Colorado to propose to his girlfriend. Now, after 24+ hours in which we had a rehearsal, rehearsal dinner, photo shoot, ceremony, and reception, I am beyond thrilled to say that he and Tara are married!

Both Aaron and I adore her; she’s smart, beautiful, patient, and she and Caleb just fit. It’s one of those cases where whatever dreams my brother has for his life, he will reach them far quicker because she is on the journey with him, and it will mean much more because she is at his side.

Speaking from personal experience, nothing compares. It’s different from anything else in the human experience, and unless you’ve been fortunate enough to live it, you cannot understand it. We’re talking about the quiet, strong love that grows like an oak tree, becoming even better over time as the roots grow deeper in the ground and the branches reach higher into the sky; the type of love that makes you look across at your husband or wife as you sit on a porch swing, in the silence of the afternoon, and realize that they have given a meaning to your life that you never expected; that makes you see them as they were when you were both still young no matter how many smile lines are now etched into their face. It makes lions of men so that even if the stars were to fall, and mountains were to burn, as long as your hands are intertwined, there is peace.

As I stood on the stage next to the alter and watched my soon-to-be-future-sister-in-law come down the aisle, I had to stop myself from crying because I realized, without any doubt, that my baby brother had found that kind of love. I was overwhelmed and grateful because I know firsthand how extraordinary and valuable it is; how it is hard to believe that any of us are even capable of deserving to experience it for even a moment, let alone a lifetime.