In the weeks leading up to our wedding I have often finding myself wondering what being married means. People have been in my ear a lot about it. They’ve been telling me it’s a big step. As if I hadn’t realized. They told me that it’s a beautiful thing. That is also true. I’ve been told marriage is about compromise. That ones pretty vague…I mean who’s compromise? Mine or hers? Those of you who really know us well probably have an idea or two about that. I’ve heard that it means stepping up to the plate and being a man. All of these things I suppose are true, I’m not really all that sure yet because I’ve now been married only a handful of minutes.

What I am sure about is that, along with Sam, I am about to embark on the extraordinary adventure of building a life with another person. Things will no longer be hers or mine---it won’t be you and me---it will be “us”…we will become communists. Everything is ours; it belongs to this new Brandon and Samantha entity, consecrated before God and taxable by the United States Government. Not just money, and things, but time and memories, joys and troubles, tragedy and triumph--- all of these things are now ours to share. I really realized this a week ago, when Sam and me were watching the Oscars and folding laundry. I was thinking about how no matter how beautiful a moment like today, our wedding is, I think a marriage should be composed of littler moments like folding laundry, or eating dinner at home, waking up and looking at someone with the same awe that you had the first time you met. I still am in awe of Samantha and I cannot wait to find out what our life together will be like. If someone was to ask me what I think its going to be like I’d say it’ll be lots of wonderful little moments that aren’t mine or hers, but ours.

And while a beautiful moment like this cannot be minimized or undervalued I think what’s more important than the flowers and the tuxedos and the rings is that we are surrounded by the people for whom we care deeply and who truly reciprocate our love and respect.  For that I am eternally grateful, that on this day our friends and family have come to join in our joy. The joy of our parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends is also our own, so you too are part of our new Communist state of being. Without you none of this would be possible. My parents and grandparents especially for putting up with a pain in the ass child who grew up to be a pain in the ass man—don’t worry…I’m not done with you yet! And also Samantha’s parents who have been unimaginably warm and welcoming to me from day one. Thank you for everything, including this wonderful wedding. I would like to thank you all for your part in making today happen. My only regret today is that you all will have to see me dance; nobody should be subject to that kind of abuse on such an otherwise happy occasion.

I would also like to confess my true and powerful love for my wife Samantha. I don’t know exactly what I’d be doing right now if it wasn’t for her but I can guarantee you it would be sad, mundane, and empty in comparison to what my life has been thus far with her. I can honestly say that I am on the winning side of this arrangement. All she gets are stinky socks. Whatever it is that she sees in me I’m sure I don’t know what it is. Though I suppose it doesn’t matter now because she’s stuck with me. I win--- because I get an intelligent, caring, funny, and truly beautiful woman to share my life and un-stink my socks. But its much more than that by far. Clichés are so often true and I really do feel that Samantha is my better half. Where I wait, she acts. Where I day-dream, she plans. Where I hunger, she cooks and where she cooks I eat. And for all that and more I thank her for seeing something special, imaginary or otherwise, in me. I will always do my best to live up to that. A life without her would be no life at all---it would simply be living without purpose. I will always do my best to make her happy because she will have to do very little to make me happy except share all my moments, big or small, until there are no more moments left on this Earth.