Mother of the Bride.

The big weekend had finally arrived. Sandler’s best friend in the whole wide world (his skate coach and mentor) was getting married. He had been anxiously awaiting the wedding weekend for months. He had carefully picked out the perfect outfit and had packed his suit case days before it was time to go. I do not know exactly what he was anticipating; he had not been to a wedding since he was a baby. But, I do know the event far exceeded his expectations.

The setting was right out of a magazine. It could not have been any more beautiful. It was on a private ranch in wine country; not a single detail was missed. The picture perfect ambiance was an added accessory to the stunning guests in attendance. Love was abundant and there was not a dry eye throughout ceremony. Except for Sandler’s.

As I wiped my tears of happiness, after the bride and groom said their “I dos,” I peeked over at him thinking he would need reassurance that my tears were of joy and not to be concerned. Much to my surprise, there was absolutely no concern for me whatsoever. In fact, he was not paying attention to me at all. His eyes were on one person, and one person only: the bride’s mother.

It was time for everyone to stand up and make their way to the reception, but Sandler stayed seated; gazing at her [mother of the bride] as if he had seen an angel appear before his eyes. After practically peeling him off his seat, and away from the wedding party, we headed toward the reception where he was quickly distracted by the music and festivities. However, a few minutes into the celebration he had disappeared and was nowhere to be found. After several minutes of combing the crowd, I finally spotted him sitting next to her in admiration with his smitten smile once again.

I did not want to embarrass him or crush his confidence, but I had to lure him away. I could see the determination in his eyes that he was going to make her his date for the night. As I mentioned before, one of the beautiful things about Sandler is that he does not see race, color, age, or disabilities. He sees people. If he finds them intriguing, he wants to get to know them. Unfortunately, the way he sees things often blurs the lines a little bit, and I usually end up having to explain what is appropriate and what is not. I realized I was going to have to drop a few helpful hints to keep him from making everyone feel uncomfortable.

I walked him across the dance floor to our table and asked him if he was enjoying himself.

He said with a glow, “Mommy—she is just like Thanksgiving.”

As I had geared up to do some explaining about age appropriateness, I was suddenly stumped and needed him to elaborate. Because I was not prepared for, nor did I understand, that comment.

I inquired, “How is she like Thanksgiving, buddy?”

Sandler replied, “Her name is ‘Stuffing’—like what we eat with turkey.”

I explained her name was actually “Stephanie,” but I could see how he thought it was close (kind of). Then with a great big sigh, a beaming smile, and a twinkle in his eye, he said, “I think I love her.”

Fortunately Stuffing—I mean Stephanie—knows Sandler, and is very understanding of his loving heart. She let him have a dance that he will cherish for eternity. Experiencing a wedding with Sandler is a reminder that love, adventure, and the unexpected are right around the corner.

Congratulations to the sweetest Sauers!

- Nikki