When I think of my wedding (you know, the one that will hopefully happen in the future which is, at this point, totally unrealistically in my head) it includes a few essential things. A bomb ass DJ. Plenty of DIY things that will make me watch to yell at all of my guests for not appreciating how much work I put into the centerpieces. Pizza. And, of course, my father walking me down the aisle.
Considering I’m a cryer, I know that I’ll be a mess when I walk arm-in-arm with my dad on my wedding day. It’s just one of those *things* that little girls (and dads) look forward to forever. So when one bride’s father passes away unexpectedly and she had to decide who would give her away, she was faced with a very hard, very sad choice.
The tragic story started when Jeni Stepien’s father was murdered during a robbery ten years ago. He had asked to be an organ donor, and the family supported his decision as his heart was given to a man who desperately needed it. Arthur Thomas was days away from dying when he received the news that a heart had been found for him. He got the transplant. He contacted the family to say thank you. And for the next ten years they kept in touch, writing letters and sending gifts — but never meeting in person.
And then, Jeni got engaged. And she knew she wanted a piece of her father to be there on her big day. She wrote Arthur a touching note asking if he would walk her down the aisle, and after he got approval from his own daughter, he joyfully said yes.
I can’t imagine the swell of emotions that must have been felt that day. Hell, I’m ugly crying just looking at these pictures. But if this hasn’t turned you into a sloppy mess yet, the video below should do the job.
Hug your dad a little tighter today and make sure to tell your loved ones just how much they mean to you..
To learn more about organ donation, click here.
[via Daily Mail,
New York Times]
Image via Youtube
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Rachel Varina
(yeahokaywhat) Aspiring to be the next Tina Fey, Rachel spends her free time doing nothing to reach that goal. While judging people based on how they use "they're" vs. "there" on social media, she likes eating buffalo chicken dip, watching other people's Netflix, and wearing sweatpants way more than is socially acceptable.
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