no touching: tender feelings and illegal activity

I think my next poll will attempt to gather the stats on the marital status of my dear readers. If I had to guess now, I'd wager 65/35 in favor of the marrieds, if not higher. Which is odd now that I think about it, since my daily 24/7 is surrounded by single people. But wow, this is neither here nor there. Have I ever actually started a blog on a tangent? A NatA! first? 665 posts in and I still have something new in me? I've impressed even myself.

I've had weddings on the brain in 2009. Clearly not my own, but two of the most important people in my life had weddings in back-to-back weekends, and I played a pretty major part in both. Hours were devoted on the phone to planning and support to both brides. WHO knew weddings were so much work? A: 65% of my readership, that's who.

Julie's destination Boston wedding gets the first heavy radio play--this post is going to be photo-heavy, apologies in advance. It's not often I have the opportunity to post pictures taken by a professional!

Ju left Boston one year ago to nab an MBA from BYU. In January, she met Greg and I knew from the get go that this was one to watch. Despite seeing Julie several times this year, I didn't meet Greg until they were staying at my house three days before the wedding. On the phone, Ju told me one of her biggest fears was that we wouldn't get along. Oh honey, no fret. This Greg is a keeper.


Seeing as my sister was the photographer, and I the unofficial MOH (shh. don't tell), I was put to work assisting the photographer. I like to think I was helpful, but I won't be quitting my day job any time soon. I think I distracted the Bride & Groom more than helped my sister. (Sorry Alaina!)
It wasn't my intention of turning this into a tribute post. But I guess your best friend only gets married once. I cried during my impromptu speech at the luncheon and am quite beside myself again now trying to accurately portray the relationship Julie and I have shared the last few years.

Regardless, here's my best attempt at describing our relationship.

Julie and I don't physically touch. Rarely, if ever. Not in greeting, not in farewell. Not in back-scratching during church or hair-playing while watching movies. It's never been an intentional thing, if anything the lack of touching is probably on me. We don't physically touch, it's true--but we don't need to. It's oh so cheesy to even say it outloud, but our brains and hearts touch in ways that would put physical contact to shame. One look or arch of an eyebrow communicates more than hundreds of words delivered by someone else. Our brains run at the same mental pace and make the same mental jumps--conversation flows at outrageous speed, and I just can't get enough.

The 2400 miles this last year hasn't destroyed our friendship, if anything it's strengthened it. Based on emotional support instead of social activity, our friendship has more than weathered the storm of distance. In fact, while traveling, we've checked in from Malaysia, Italy, Prague, Seattle, Hong Kong, and many a place in between. We spent Halloween and Christmas together--I told her it's probably a good thing she and Greg were getting married so people didn't think we were girlfriends!

Why wouldn't you want to be around someone who makes you laugh all the time?


Julie is smart and happy and beautiful and funny and generous and sensitive and positive and grounded. There isn't a person who doesn't want to be around her, she has an innate ability to make you feel like the very best version of you. This probably sounds like hero-worship, but I pretty much think Julie is the perfect person. It's about time someone snatched her up!

One last quick story (during a church talk, this is where you'd inwardly groan) -- While hugging Greg in the sealing room after the ceremony, he held me tight and promised me he'd take really great care of her. [Gosh, I wasn't crying until now.] I don't doubt that he will. Moved and a little taken aback, I hugged Julie(!) and unable to vocalize my true thoughts what this post is now doing, told her it was okay if her wedding day replaced the best day of our lives. She laughed and told me it was a draw, "I was more excited for that one but probably cried more for this one."

Then we went into the Brides' Room and shared a Diet Coke. (shh. don't tell.)