My cousin gets married and my family meets "Shiloh"

Last weekend was a great weekend.  My cousin got married to a guy who makes her happy beyond words and most of my family got to meet my boyfriend.  It was a great ending to a week away from work.  Meleah was a beautiful bride and for a semi-outdoor wedding in a non-air conditioned location, I don't think she could have chosen a better day; especially this summer.  One of the highlights was a surprise for Meleah and most of the family.  My uncle who raised me and whom I call "Dad", who is Meleah's grandfather got up and danced with her while the DJ played "My Girl."  Although it was very brief and she was then handed off to each of her uncles  and a cousin, it was a poignant moment. He nearly died last December and after going through open heart surgery, he has worked very hard to recuperate and get himself back to being as healthy as he can be. To see him get up and dance with her without a cane and protest when his son Louie tried to cut in after all he has been through this year was priceless. 

My family also got to meet my boyfriend Kyle. He had met a couple of them before then, but for the majority, it was the first time he met them. My Dad who also has major hearing issues referred to him as "Shiloh" a couple weeks ago which made my mom nearly die laughing, so they both now refer to him as Shiloh.  I thought I would be nervous for them to meet him, but when we got there, I wasn't nervous at all.  I realized that as much as I love my family and as much as I love Kyle, I really didn't need them to love each other. Sure it would make my life easier if they did, but Kyle isn't a difficult person to like, so I figured most would like him, and if someone didn't like him, then they would just have to learn to deal with him anyway. He's down to earth, hard working, smart, nice, polite, has a good sense of humor, and treats me well; really I feel like a princess when I'm with him.   He makes me happy and supports me and is by my side no matter what we are facing.  My parents and the rest of my family seemed to like him...at least after the initial meeting. The best thing my mom said to me that night was that she thought I looked happy and that she was so glad to see my smile come back. Considering my stress level can be sky high some days and I have a lot on my mind, I'm happy and have joy in my life and it shows.