from a Mullen to a Fielding...

It is so seldom that we are in the presence of real, live, true love. I am lucky enough to have encountered it numerous times in the past couple of years.

One of my bestestest friends, Monica, was married this past weekend to her soul-mate, Gabe. I have known Monica since second grade. She was the "quiet one" who sort of sat back and did her own thing. She has a heart of gold and sometimes when I look at her I can still see the nine year old girl behind that smile. We grew up together, hung out all the time and went through our phases, stages and situations by each others side. At times, I felt like a piece of furniture in the Mullen home. Gabe is Monica's brother's best friend. He is one of the most genuinely awesome people I have ever met. I always had respect for him, growing up. His personality is amazing, he is very sweet and kind .... and a big goofball. Match made in heaven, right? Well, this match took FOREVER to make. Even though they had known each other since they were kids, Monica and Gabe just took their friendship to another level a couple of years ago.

After high school, her brothers both moved out to Colorado and a few years later, Monica followed. And Gabe did as well. They became even better friends and, out of the blue, both realized that they needed to be in a relationship together. I was THRILLED when I heard the news, as I had always wanted them to get together. When Monica came home to visit, for the first time since her new love, her smile was SO wide. I had never ever seen her beaming like that. And I will never forget it. We talked about how happy she was and I felt an amazing amount of actual JOY. I don't know if you really know what "joy" feels like - I don't think I did until that day. So you can imagine my excitement when I heard the news of her engagement. This had been 25 years in the making (in my mind).

Seeing Monica and Gabe together for the first time was surreal. His love for her was undeniable. It was beyond sweet - it was newlyweds before their time. My friends and I had to call each other and gossip about how adorable their visit was. Pulling out the chair. Holding hands. Constant smiles and kisses. Pet names. This might sound corny and annoying as hell to you, but I assure you - it was beautiful.

Being able to not only witness but to be a part of their wedding meant the world to me. The ceremony was absolutely beautiful. Their genuine grins were permanent. Watching them speak their vows, exchange rings and dance their first dance as husband and wife was pretty much magical. And the entire time I felt as though I was rooting for my favorite team, waving a giant banner that read "Go Monica and Gabe!!" (Possible foam finger as well).

I wish for everyone to be happy, but for some reason, I almost wish it MORE for these two love birds. I hope they are enjoying their honeymoon as I write this. Congratulations, once again, Monica and Gabe Fielding. I love you guys.