THE GROOM
Written by the Mother of the Groom
His name is Preston, specifically because it means “from the priest’s estate.” Since Jesus is our head priest and his estate is heaven, we saw it as meaning that Preston was sent from heaven….and he was. Preston was born with the face of an angel and the heart of a warrior.
I made up a lullaby that I sang to him every day and I find it amazing how much it still defines him.
“Preston is his name.
Playing is his game.
He likes to play with his brother, Trey.
He’s a good boy every day.”
At birth, Preston’s ankles turned inward and he wore two corrective shoes with a metal brace between them that twisted his legs straighter. It broke my heart to see his movement constricted and then as he grew, watch him drag his legs around while other children were crawling proficiently. But it never affected Preston’s attitude. He was always a peaceful, happy baby.
When Preston was a toddler, the braces came off, but his pediatrician noticed he had a crossbite so we had to put a butterfly bridge on the roof of his mouth. Every few days, I had to lay him on the bed, ask him to open his mouth, and with a key, crank the butterfly open bigger. This had to be excruciatingly painful, but Preston never cried, never complained.
Preston is twenty one months younger than his brother, Trey, so I prayed they would become best friends (and encouraged that by making them share a bedroom and bathroom for fourteen years!) From the moment Trey met his little brother he was gentle, kind and attentive and it was a blessing to watch them bond.
He was always a positive, cheerful boy and he brought so much joy to our home. He accepted Christ as soon as he understood the story of sin and salvation and soon took the song by DeGarmo and Key as his theme song when I changed the words of “Destined to Win” to “Preston Is Destined to Win”.
He has a mental and physical strength that is all his own. He had by far more stitches and broken bones than his siblings, because he gave 100% to everything he did. Doctors and nurses were awed at his bravery. They had never seen such a little guy lie perfectly still and quiet while his wounds were being cleaned or he was being stitched up.
If Preston decided to do something, he dedicated himself to do it well. He decided to learn the guitar and within a year he was playing with his church youth group band. While doing that, he took an interest in drums and taught himself to play them too, well enough to fill in as drummer.
His greater passion was sports. He played soccer, baseball, hockey, and swam on a team practicing and running through drills until he did it well…very well. His baseball teams counted on his natural athletic ability and his mental discipline to close a game from the pitcher’s mound. But I was more proud of his humility than his ability. He always made sure that successes were shared and not focused on himself.
It is no wonder that he chose to become a military officer. His interest in history and politics, his analytical ability, common sense and wisdom, bravery, strength and self-discipline came together as he matured and he has become a leader in every sense of the word.
In Leah, Preston has found a good match. The two of them share athletic ability, interests, personal strength and character with a healthy dose of humor and fun. But their shared faith in Christ and their loving hearts that lead them to help, comfort and defend will be a blessing to people who cross their path as they make their journey through life together.
