Even more special was the appearance of a wedding guest who also happened to be the subject of one of those documentaries - Canjoe* John.
What an honor it was to have Canjoe* make the trek from Tennessee to Georgia for the wedding. Andrew had been preparing for his appearance for quite some time. He found a birdhouse pattern that looked amazingly like Canjoe* and asked PopPop if he's construct it. PopPop readily agreed. Watching Canjoe* open this gift was a highlight of the reception.
Canjoe* took the birdhouse home painted on some more details, and named it the CanPa* John birdhouse. He has plans to mount it on a 4X4 post, put it out on his hillside for any birds who want to move it, and make it into a seasonal scarecrow for display.
But Canjoe* had his own surprise in the works. He wanted to give Andrew and Sarah something special, unique, and related to his wife, Sissy, who died way too young. Canjoe* said that after long thought and prayer, he remember the fine sterling silver bowl that the two received on their wedding day. It had been a gift from one of the ENT doctors with whom Canjoe* worked. Their wedding was held on September 1, 1979 in the chapel of the US Naval hospital at Camp Lejeune. Those in attendance were mostly the enlisted and officers, with their spouses, of the EENT (Eye, Ear, Nose, and Throat) clinic where Canjoe* worked. CDR Jeff Powell, MC, USN was a doctor in the clinic and he gave the beautiful silver bowl to Canjoe* and Sissy. To them, it was the finest gift they received and treasured by both of them. They brought it out for use on special occasions only. Canjoe* decided that Andrew and Sarah would be the only ones to fully appreciate having it and it represented a shiny reflection of many fond memories Canjoe* and Sissy shared. He thought it needed to carry on in the hands of their lives together, and to be used to reflect their love as well.
What a thoughtful, precious gift that will be treasured for always.
No comments:
Post a Comment