Monday, September 15, 2025 – Day 398

Monday, September 15, 2025

Good morning, welcome to Monday.

We’re back in Crystal Lake this morning, and I feel weary. Traveling is always physically exhausting for me—and when you add the emotional weight of a wedding weekend, this trip was no exception. I swear there’s an inverse relationship between the joy of a family wedding and the fatigue that follows.

What follows is a recap of the day, which will take a few days to capture it all. It’s important to me that I write about it before the small details leak.

The marriage of Alex and Nicole was beyond anything I could have wished for. The backdrop of the western Maine mountains, with trees just starting to turn color, looked like a painting. Across the valley, the resort rose up like something out of a fairy tale. Perfect weather, breathtaking scenery, and the love of family and friends tied everything together into a day I’ll never forget.

I need to say a special thank you to my siblings Tim and Maria, my brothers-in-law Pete and Mark, and Cindy’s sister Barb. It took an Army to help me get dressed for the big day. A tuxedo and red socks don’t just assemble themselves when you’ve got thumbs that won’t cooperate. I managed the pants and socks on my own, but then I hit a wall. Thankfully, I started early—it took more than an hour to pull it all together. By the time I looked at my watch, we had five minutes left before photos. I couldn’t have managed it without their help.

Throughout the day I was well taken care of. Everyone made sure I could navigate the terrain without becoming the center of attention. The ceremony was set at the base of a ski run, with cut trails stretching endlessly up the mountain. Looking at them carried me back to my skiing days—if you closed your eyes, you could almost hear the swish of skis on fresh powder. When the guests were seated, Cindy and I were the first of the wedding party to be escorted down the hill. I was on my walker, with Zack on my left and Alex on my right, helping me carefully down the slope and across the gravel until we reached the brick pathway. Once I was steady, they let go, straightened my tux, and I looked up at the crowd. That’s when it hit me—I was so overcome with joy that tears rolled down my cheeks.

To see everyone gathered for Alex and Nicole, and to be there—front row, proud dad of the groom—melted away every fear I’d carried since my ALS diagnosis. Once I was settled, Alex leaned down, hugged me, and said, “I love you, Daddio.” I grabbed Cindy’s hand and gave it a squeeze, happy and relieved to be exactly where I wanted to be.

After that, Alex went back to escort his mom and Aras, her husband. Aras sat beside me and was quick to offer his hand whenever I needed help to stand. Thank you, Aras.

The rest of the wedding party followed, each one smiling wide as they took their place. And then came the moment everyone was waiting for: Nicole, escorted by both her mom and dad. She was radiant. I looked at her dad’s face and saw the same tears of happiness I had felt earlier. It was contagious—there wasn’t a dry eye in sight. As Nicole’s dad hugged her, her mom reached out with an equally big hug for Alex, officially welcoming him to the family. It was beautiful, and it spoke volumes about the love surrounding these two. (There’s a photo attached.)

Finally, Kyle—one of Alex’s lifelong swim friends—stood ready as the minister to begin the ceremony.

I’ll stop here for now and pick up tomorrow with the rest of the story.

Have a great Monday. Love you guys! ❤️