Laila’s Wedding tribute delivered at her wedding dinner.... Sept. 20. 2022
Sunrise, Sunset from Fiddler on the Roof. SING: Is this the little girl I carried , Is this the little boy at play. I don’t remember growing older..when did they? When did she geet to be a beauty? When did he grow to be so tall? Wasn’t it yesterday that they were small? Sunrise Sunset Sunrise Sunset swiftly fly the years. One season following another, laden with happiness and tears.
Laila… I’m speechless…. So … I asked friends and neighbors to give me some words to describe her… Permanently optimistic. Friendly and inclusive to all. Sincerely interested in others. Soft and tender with a core of STEEL! Cheerful, loyal, caring, a drive to be better, sweet, beautiful, happy, independent, Confident, Kind, Mature, Determined, spiritual, tender-hearted, hard working, someone who loves whole heartedly, an absolute joy to be around, loves family, big smile, even bigger hugs, very empathetic, unfair treatment of those she loves hurts her deeply, thinks of others first, over-comer, stubborn, family first, generous heart, Spunky, thoughtful, compassionate, smart.
Uncle Adam: “She could be hanging out with the coolest high school friends or popular people she knows and she would stop what she was doing and she would recognize us and say hello and give us a hug.”
What’s cool about all of these attributes is you could say the same things about MARKUS. They are a great match!
The last time Laila lived alone with a boy it was her imaginary friend Jarret in the cereal cupboard. Laila loved to clear out all of the cereal and sit in the dark cupboard with him. She had decorated his home with stickers and colored markers on the wall. “Jarret is very smart”- she tells us he is so much smarter than her and Laila talks to him a lot. She is very sad if the boys pretend to step on Jarret or say that he’s not real. She actually cries. When she wanted to stay home and not go with me places, she would say, "It's ok Jarret will tend me." He tells her bad jokes and she reminds him to be on Jesus' team and not make the devil happy. She loved Jarret so much. HE even had a whole family that she would report on. She talked to him for years and played with him and then he had a tragic ending. And now Markus has taken Jarret’s place…. so watch out.... !
Time is fluid and my memories flow back and forth from baby to teenager …
I see her the first time our eyes met at the adoption agency in Philadelphia– she was the most beautiful black curly haired baby I had ever seen.
I see her selling rocks to the school kids as they walked home from school
I see her dancing as a bumble bee in her first ballet recital.
I see her afro hair bobbing while shaking her booty to “Hey sister, go sister”… Lady marmalade.
I see her saying the most sincere prayers. “And please, please, please bless all of the butterflies that we can never catch them so they will always be happy. Amen."
“And thank you for all of the animals that give us food, and all of the animals that are just to look at. And just, thank you for everything...except black widows. Amen.”
"Thanks for Earth so we don't have to live in space, cuz it would be really hard to find stuff. Amen.”
I see her putting on Tinkerbell wings knowing they are magic and that she will fly.
I see her needing my shoulder.. She said it “ folder”…to help her stop crying.
I see her wearing the same utah sweat shirt jacket and athletic shoes every day in 4th grade.
I see her making McDonald’s friends easily…and always wanting to bring them home to play.
I see her watching all of the Peter Pan movies over and over… (Peter Pan the Cartoon, Old Broadway Peter Pan, New Broadway Peter Pan, “Woohoo girley” the movie Peter Pan, and Hook.)
I see her stripping off her clothes as soon as she comes in the house and heading to her room
I see her cheerleading at games for MPJH and BHS
I see her and MARKUS in sumo wrestling costumes jumping on the tramp.
I see her eating cheap powdered donuts with her dad on his motorcycle.
I see her in her carseat singing with me at the top of our lungs a song from Spelling Bee. “I love you”
I see her being the leader of her I Hate Pickle’s club…. But she would let those who liked pickles in the club too. She’s always been inclusive.
When Laila was little people would ask about her family. She would say, "I have 2 moms and 3 dads and lots of brothers and sisters." The sisters include cousin Lindsey Welch, cousin Becca and friend, Gina Nickl. She would go on to explain, "I have my birth mom and my mom mom. My birth dad, my real dad and my Heavenly Father and my brothers, Addison, Landon, Truman, Monson and Jesus...but I don't get to see him very much."
IT was all very sweet and a little confusing. She always understood that we are all brothers and sisters here on earth and we need to help each other, love each other and have each other’s backs.
And now Laila gets to add more people to her family and what I know is she has the heart for it. It won’t be hard for her.
Once we were talking about adoption and reminding Laila that Jesus was adopted. Mary had Jesus and then Joseph, his earthly father, adopted Jesus. Laila's eyes got wide and she tearily said, "I'm just like Jesus...only whinier."
I would like to end with another song. I wrote a song for each of my kids as I rocked them to sleep at night…this is Laila’s song …
Laila Laila, Laila look what you’ve done for us
Laila Laila Laila turned on the sun for us
Since you came our way, It’s Christmas..
Christmas every day.
Oh Laila you’re gorgeous, funny, happy, adorable too
Oh Laila we all love you.
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