Ohio vs. Michigan/Asking for her hand
It has been some time since I have written in my blog… and I miss it. However, there was a very special reason for my neglect. On Saturday, October 2nd, 2010 Lindsay Nicole Zitiello, our only daughter, and Matthew Christopher Garrity, the love of Lindsay’s life, were joined together in the state of holy matrimony in the presence of 250 family members and friends by Father Remek at Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church. A reception followed in the ballroom of the clubhouse of the TPC Sawgrass, a Spanish Revival 77,000 square foot building resembling Cinderella’s castle. There is much about this wedding that I need to write, not only to share with anyone who would like to read about it, but also to preserve the emotions that have welled up inside of me since the engagement last year Thanksgiving week. It has been an amazing year for our entire family, and I might add, our new extended family the Garrity’s. So, for the next few weeks I will share the highlights.
Reflecting back to November, 2009
It all began a few weeks before Thanksgiving during the Ohio State vs. Michigan football game. Lindsay and I were busy cooking in the kitchen while Matt and Tom were enthralled in the game in the “man-room”. Perhaps Matt was not so enthralled, come to think about it.
He told Tom he needed to ask him something. Tom detected the seriousness in Matt’s voice and immediately turned down the volume of the 50″ flatscreen that projected the game he had waited twelve months to witness. Matt told Tom of his intention and asked for our blessing. Tom in turn discussed the seriousness of the commitment and once he was convinced Matt understood and had given it much contemplation, he gave the blessing with a handshake and a welcoming hug.
He later admitted he was very nervous to ask Mr. Z for Lindsay’s hand in marriage. In fact, more nervous about that than he was about asking Lindsay to marry him.
Matt asked when the grandparents would be arriving for the Thanksgiving holiday and revealed he would ask Lindsay before they would return to Ohio so they could be witness to the momentous event.
An hour later I was still busy at the computer and preparing dinner. Twice Tom looked over the loft to see if Lindsay was still with me. Finally he determined she and Matt had left. He came down practically running to the wine cellar to grab a chilled bottle of bubbly and two champagne flutes. He told me to follow him to the bedroom. I laughed and told him it was 5:30 in the afternoon! He said, “You can count on your hand the number of times in your life you have something like this to share, I have to tell you something….follow me.”
Once we were in the sitting room he had tears in his eyes as her recounted the conversation he had had with Matt. He told me how Matt had “done it right”, first off by asking on his most favorite day in college football AND in the man room on a Saturday afternoon. But, most importantly, Matt had done much more “right”. Matt had waited until both he and Lindsay had graduated college, both gotten jobs and been working for a year, and he had bought a home for them to live in. They were in love and they both wanted to spend their lives together. He had purchased an engagement ring that would arrive on Tuesday. He would ask her to marry him before the Thanksgiving weekend was over.
Matt is the perfect choice for Lindsay. Over the four and a half years they have dated we have grown to know Matt and witnessed on several occasions his love for our daughter and her love for him. We both could not have been happier with what was about to unfold.
I wonder if Tom remembers which team won that game?
