Salut!

Since I wasn’t asked to do a toast at the wedding, I decided the best way to give the toast that will never happen is through my blog… that way it’s immortalized! HA! I also haven’t written anything in 5 months… ☹. Be that as it may, I figured why not give myself the opportunity to say a few words of love and encouragement and embarrass the crap out of one of my best friends. Plus this way, everyone not at the wedding gets to read it… hehehehe….

To be fair, it’s hard to embarrass Megan Reilly. She’s sassy, sweet and a one of the BUSIEST busybodies I’ve ever met. This is the girl, who at her own bridal shower totally cleared everyone else’s plates. While she was supposed to be relaxing and enjoying the moment, she was busy cleaning up after her guests and trying to help her aunt who was hosting the party. I kept insisting she sit down and stop doing things until Will’s mom told me “It really is pointless trying to get her to stop. She always has to be doing something. You might as well let her.” The great thing about Megan is she’s one of the first to arrive and one of the last people to leave. Even if I was the world’s greatest tap dancer, Megan would still be able to tap dance circles around me while doing the spinning-plates-on-sticks trick. Although she’d be the last to admit it, Megan Reilly Is very hard to outdo because she’s just that awesome.

When I first met Will, I was worried. Mostly for his sake because I wasn’t sure anyone male or female could handle the Megan ball of energy. I think I was impressed that Megan would even consider dating a guy who was 1. The fitting description of tall, dark and handsome and 2. The Joker asked it best when he said “Why so serious?” Not that I ever remotely believed that Will was bad looking but rather the tall, dark and handsome only seemed to make him more intimidating. All I could think was why would crazy little Megan date someone so stiff? Of course after getting to know Will, I know he’s wonderfully mellow, congenial sort of fellow with a great sense of humor. Of course, I believe that Megan brought out the best in him. And he in turn, mellow out our lovable ball of energy.

I wish I’d known that fateful fall semester of 2008 what I was getting myself into when I befriended Megan.  All the crazy moments we would share, all the nights we would lie awake talking about creative ways to get rid of annoying roommates, watching each other giggle evilly while playing Grand Theft Auto and all the weight I would gain from eating Megan’s cakes. P.S. Don’t forget my birthday is next month and I really like strawberry jello. However, I’m not sure I could have ever avoided becoming friends with Megan. I think our personalities are too similar, just two busybodies trying to make our way through life without killing anybody.

When Megan called me to say a year ago January that she was getting married, I was SUPER excited! I love her to pieces and as one of the sweetest, craziest people I’ve ever met she deserves the best. At the time, I figured the reason I was one her first friends she told was because she wanted me to in her wedding. Well, that didn’t happen during that phone call or the next two times I saw her. It wasn’t until almost 6 months later during a visit to Eastern, Megan looks at me and says, “So we’re getting married June 23, 2012 at TPC in Moline. I’m so excited about it, Alison! It looks like a castle and the bridesmaids are going to wear red. My mom is making the dresses so you’ll have to come out in the fall to be fitted for one.” In typical Megan-fashion, I wasn’t asked if I would be her bridesmaid, I was told (not that asking would’ve made a difference, I would’ve immediately squealed and said yes). So it honors me deeply to be standing by her side in a week watching her start a new journey with the tall, dark and handsome man of her dreams.

I think this is the part where I give some advice about life and love or whatever. However, I don’t claim to be an expert on either so I’ll pass out advice given to me by people who are.

A very wise aunt told me the day I graduated that life is really about two things: work and love and equally balancing the two. Give your work the time it requires but never forget that love is truly what makes the world go round.

A pastor’s wife several years ago at a convention said, “Any mediocre relationship can have good communication but at the basis of all GREAT relationships is the poop talk.” She went on to tell everyone about how her and her husband decided to talk about their habits going number two before getting married but I won’t gross you out with any details. She finished her seemingly gross story by saying, “If you can comfortably talk about poop, farting or other habits that may seem disgusting, then you won’t have issues tackling the truly uncomfortable problems together.”

My last blessing comes from the misty-eyed father at the wedding I attended only two weeks ago.  To Megan and Will, may God bless all the days to come and help you embrace the days that have passed. May he bless this road you’re embarking on together, lead you safely through the journey ahead and help you to live long and prosper.




P.S. I’m including this in here because Zack spent a whole day coming up with advice for you. So here is Zack’s “Platinum” Matrimonial Advice (a.k.a. Zackisms):
There isn’t such a thing as too much flattery… only too little flattery.

Buy a dog. That way when someone cooks a bad meal, you can smile and say “It’s great.” Then when the cook turns around, feed it to the dog.

Will, this is directly for you, wake up every morning look into your wife’s eyes and say, “Honey, I love you, please don’t kill me.”

Megan- Whenever Will does something stupid, and we both know he will, instead of thinking ‘I’m going to kill him’. Think ‘Because he did this… I’m going to get a new pair of shoes, or a new purse, or a new shotgun or better yet, a new RPG.”