Like The Beatles Said…Life Goes On!

I have been writing in this space for over 11 years now…those who have been with me for a long time have “watched” my kids grow up as I write about them. In that first year of writing, I recapped dropping my oldest son, Jonah, off at college (Finer Things - Sep 2013). Next month, just before he turns 29, he will be getting married…another first for us.

I have assisted many of you through various life transitions during my 31-year career. I have watched many of your children grow up and create families of their own. Though I have been realizing the excitement you experienced when your children have gone through big moments in their lives for the last 29 years, a wedding is completely different. As my oldest child approaches the covenant of marriage and all the love, beauty, sacrifice, and responsibility that comes with it, I am faced with the realization that while I will be there to love and support him and his family for as long as I am able, I have finished molding my first co-creation. I have given him (and all of our children) the very best that I have to offer. And I could not be prouder of the man he is today and the husband he will become.

Jonah and his soon-to-be-wife, Nicki, met in middle school. They knew each other and were friends but didn’t really date until late in their senior year of high school. They did the “responsible thing” and had an amicable break up as Jonah went off to U of A and Nicki went off to San Diego State. They stayed in contact but were not exactly close over the next six years.

In 2019, they were both at a point in their young but maturing lives where they were looking for a deeper partner relationship. They reconnected, found the depth for which they were searching and never looked back! They have been living in San Diego (Nicki since she went off to college and Jonah since 2021) and enjoying the Pacific Beach life that kids who grow up in Arizona dream about having one day. Both of their families are here in Arizona, and they expect to return someday.

Our daughter, Abrie, is one of Nicki’s bridesmaids and our sons, Brett, Seth, and Evan are all among Jonah’s groomsmen (Brett is the best man). We love seeing how they have all bonded as they have grown up…the six of them genuinely enjoy being with each other…hard to ask for anything more than that!

Kids today do things quite differently than we did 30 or so years ago. Other than financially, none of the parents have been very involved in the planning of their wedding. They were given a budget and have methodically planned every detail to their liking. The experience has been a good financial literacy lesson for them. They are learning how to make smart financial decisions together.

Debbie and I could not be happier for Jonah and Nicki. Life is hard and marriage is a true test of one’s commitment to another. We love how they treat each other, how respectful they are of each other, how supportive they are of each other and how easy it is to be with the two of them. As they change and grow in their own lives, we hope that they will change and grow cohesively together and build a loving family of their own.

Please join me in wishing Jonah and Nicki a marriage filled with love, respect, kindness, and happiness with and for each other so that they may stand strongly and endure any obstacles together as one!

-Gary Weiss, February 2024