Best Man, Toast to the Bride and Groom

My own best man, Jimmy, got married tonight and I was his best man. I have been so busy this week--with the bachelor party last weekend and the family reunion / baby shower my mother threw for us--that I was only able to sit down and write the toast this morning. I wasn't sure how it would be received, but it ended up with lots of laughs and compliments. So here it is:

I have been married to my wife Helen for 12 years and Jimmy was my best man.

It's ironic that I am married, that Jimmy was my best man AND that I am his today--when you consider the story he told Helen the first time he met her.

Back when we were both still school kids in Lakeland, Jimmy's parents let him go surfing in Cocoa beach with me. It was pretty cold that weekend, so to convince Jimmy to go, I told him that after I'd surfed a while, we could take turns using my wet-suit. Once we were at the beach, I came out of the water bragging about my surfing skills and Jimmy asked if he could use my wetsuit. I said, "take the surfboard, but leave the wetsuit .It's too cold!!"

I'm pretty sure the only reason Jimmy was my friend for a while after that was because I had a car and a surfboard.

All the years I've known Jimmy, I've never known him to get angry. I always had a hot and unpredictable temper. Whenever I would lash out at Jimmy, he would just laugh at me.

There is only one thing I can say about Jimmy's bachelor party last weekend--well, something just before the party. I asked Jimmy if I had ever made him really mad. He couldn't think of any time I had. He said it takes a lot to make him mad. That's when I decided to do my best to thoroughly embarrass him that night.

Jimmy is an honest, patient and kind man. He's generous and thoughtful too. Once, when he flew all the way to Maryland to help me move into my new house--in the middle of the move, when he learned I wasn't a whiskey drinker, he quickly produced a flask to calm my nerves. This very moment, I'm getting started on my second annual gift bottle of whiskey from Jimmy.

Jimmy and Rene, we all know you love life and you love each other. you love the food and the drink. You love to travel, to be around good people and to listen to good music. My greatest hope for you both is that you will always love each other as much as the other good things in life.

Take care of each other and no matter how rough things might get for you--actually, Rene, no matter how angry Jimmy might make you in the coming years, just laugh at him!

To the bride and groom!!

Tune in to imagebuoy for pictures from the wedding, soon.