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May 30th 2025 would have been my 27th wedding anniversary.
It has been exactly 27 years, 11 months, and 18 days since I walked down the aisle. I did this with a person I had only known as an ‘acquaintance’ prior to this day. Then I found out I was carrying my first child. On this wedding day, I was approximately 3 months into that journey. This child would become the first tangible instance where I recognized a true ‘touch’ from God in my life. The very first reminder that He was with me. The first confirmation that I was capable of loving another tiny human more than life itself.
There were no known witnesses, no fancy decorations, the garter was provided as part of the 30 minute rental package. The original name was The Little Wedding Chapel (I think?) (some memories are unreliable – especially ones I did not want to remember). I used to have a staged photo of him putting the garter on my leg. There was a full-size photo of Dolly Parton on the wall of the entrance. Billy Ray Cyrus was also depicted in another photo. A kind-hearted preacher with one glass eye saw that I was shaking and terrified. He prayed for me while I stood in my rented dress. I took trembling steps down a four-foot aisle. The tune of “Here Comes the Bride” played as I walked.
Despite the smile on my face in the photo above, it felt like a nightmare. A bad dream. Inside, I was full of fear and trepidation. I prayed with a sincere hope. I hoped that taking this action would somehow produce something honorable. It come from something that had started so sadly.
I speak it out now—not just because of the date, but because of how vividly I remember the moment. Down to the day. Down to the hour. That tells me how deeply this journey has been etched into my memory, my timeline, my body, and my spirit. This struggle to get “out and away” has left a significant mark.
And yet… here I am.
No longer stuck in that memory—but naming it. Reclaiming it. Documenting it in a way that transforms what was meant to destroy me. It becomes a foundation that can protect my daughters. It honors our collective truth. One day, it might even set a precedent for others.
I am not walking down that same aisle today.
I’m walking through a different threshold:
One of courage, accountability, and legacy.
There is peace in my soul now. I can finally reflect on the unwavering clarity I managed to hold during those desperate years. I scattered breadcrumbs. These were in the form of journal entries, legal documents, and whispered confessions. I shared them with anyone I thought might believe me. The fact that I managed to hold onto any semblance of faith through all of that is a miracle.
I don’t feel sorry for that young woman anymore.
I have compassion for her.
I have respect for her.
She did everything she could to change the trajectory of her life and her children’s. But sometimes in life, we only have one option at any given moment. And even when it doesn’t look like enough—it was.
So here I am now. Seeing the bigger picture. One entry at a time. One document at a time. One memory at a time—even the ones that break my heart. Others may have said, done, or denied many things. However, the truth is known by exactly who needs to know it.
God knows.
And God is not confused.
He has a purpose and a plan that none of us will fully understand. Even when humans try to manipulate the outcomes, justice still belongs to the Lord. And what is done in darkness will be brought into the light.
We survived. And we are still rising.
Now is the time to recognize that our story matters.
Because they, too, have walked through fire.
Now is the time to speak grace—especially over my daughters.
And they deserve to heal in the light.
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The outside looks the same… but INSIDE… Wow… They have done some remodeling. Much can change in 27 years! Somehow… I do not remember seeing multiple pews… I remember walking in slow motion… it only felt like 4 feet… They told me to walk really slow, to make it appear longer when I watched the video? But for anybody looking to get married today? This little chapel is now called Chapel at the Park.
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