Lemondrop

A Break With Tradition -- 'I Chose Not to Have My Dad Give Me Away' {Lemondrop}

May 3rd 2010 10:09PM I'm the dad in this story. I respect all of those with different values and traditions; but please don't speak for me. I loved my daughter's wedding. I never wanted to "give her away." I got to do what I wanted very much to do--give a toast saying what a wonderful, loving daughter she has always been, how much she has meant to me, how proud I am of her. She and my son-in-law are kind, caring, generous people who enrich the lives of all in our family, and many more. Her account doesn't say how much they did to make everyone at the wedding feel appreciated--how would it read if she'd gone on about that? But those of us who know them love them very much and feel *very* loved in turn--and helped in more ways than I can detail. I know our ways are not in keeping with traditions and beliefs that mean a great deal to many very good people. But one tradition in which I was raised was that we should not be too quick to judge others harshly, lest we ourselves be judged too hastily and harshly.