It’s Official…

It was a cold December night when there was a knock on the door. We were expecting him. Tyler texted Joy and asked when the two of us would both be home. She told him 6:30, which ended up being 7:30. Yeah, I made the poor guy wait all because I was struggling getting the colour right on a white pearl SUV. I hated doing that to him as I was sure he was nervous. Turned out he was more nervous than I thought. We invited him to come in and enjoy some eggnog with us at the table. And then, Tyler asked Joy and I to marry our sweet Erika.

As is my go-to, I responded jokingly with, “Well, yeah, we like to get her out of the house.” It was a such a nice time together and we were excited for our daughter.

She didn’t know the question would be popped on the night that it was, which was December 23, 2023. We had a pretty good feeling it might be, since it was the first Saturday after he came to see us and they were off on a special date. The two of them came to our front door that night, all excited. Erika was holding her hand up, nails out, and we admired the beautiful diamond.

In, there is a scene where Joel and Clementine, knowing all of their memories of each other are about to be gone for good, have this conversation:

Clementine:

• This is it, Joel. It’s going to be gone soon.

Joel:

• I know.

Clementine:

• What do we do?

Joel:

• Enjoy it.

I believe I will remember both of the events described above and will cherish them for decades to come. I realize that my mind may deteriorate in time, but for now, I will enjoy these times. It is an important value of mine that every season of life, regardless of whether it appears good or bad, is to be held close to the heart. Even when we go through a dark time in life, one thing is always true: no one can take those experiences away from us.

This is a beginning for Erika and Tyler, and therefore a beginning for Joy and me as well. I’m glad for them and I’m glad for everyone who has the pleasure of knowing them. 

Congratulations Erika and Tyler. This is your life.

And congratulations . This is your week.

Best Actress:

Reese Witherspoon as Cheryl in

Best Actor: Jim Carrey as Joel Barish in

Best Quote: “You can never replace anyone because everyone is made up of such beautiful specific details.” – Julie Delpy as Celine in

My top 10 things I love about Erika:

• She’s a super cutie.

• She plays board games with me sometimes.

• She talks about movies with me sometimes.

• Her compassion for people and desire to understand them.

• Her laugh.

• The way she expresses her love for her family and friends.

• Her voice when she sings.

• Her fiancé. He’s a really great guy.

• She’s a lot like her mom.

• The way she inspires me to be a better person.

Erika, I love you and I am so happy for you.