The small, small, small, small, small world story

Funny stories come from weddings...who did what, who said what, who drank what. A lot of them are funny but most of them are not unbelievable. Well, maybe some are, but those are not the kind I like to repeat.

This story is the most unbelievable story of a small, small world. A long time ago, I posted about how remarkable it is that a little boy and a little girl were born in separate cities, never to go to the same schools, never to meet until a friend introduced them in their senior year of high school. One never knew the other existed until then. They lived in parallel universes. Then they became engaged and got married.

And, yet.

On the day of the wedding, my first cousin Jenny and her family were in the parking lot at St. Charles, walking from their car to the chapel when she saw, walking with her family from their car to the chapel, one of her very best friends, possibly her oldest friend. Her friend's name is also Jennifer. This friend I remember from days when I was younger and visiting my uncle and his family at Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, when my cousin Jenny was a little girl -- Jenny is quite a few years younger than I am. Jennifer was often around their home, and when Jenny was an adult and getting married, Jennifer was at bridal showers and was a bridesmaid at her wedding, and then a few years later appeared at baby showers, birthday parties, probably Tupperware parties, or maybe it was Pampered Chef by then.

So, Jenny sees Jennifer in the parking lot and says, surprised, "What are you doing here?" And Jennifer responds that her husband's cousin's daughter is getting married. "Remember, Taylor? The little girl who was my flower girl?" They had been in each other's weddings and Jenny, pregnant at the time with her first child, did indeed remember that little flower girl, as she has been so taken by her darling shining curls and dimpled cheeks that she had named her baby after her, Taylor.

A picture of a picture from Taylor's mother's house -- Jennifer and our Taylor

After Jenny and Jennifer recovered from their mutual surprise, they realized that Jenny had known Taylor for a very long time, and Jennifer had known Joshua since the two had started dating. But since Jenny's married name was not familiar to Joshua (guys are clueless about stuff like that) and Jennifer had married into Taylor's family, no one connected the families, until the day of the wedding.

So my son married Jennifer's first cousin once removed (by marriage) and Taylor married Jenny's first cousin once removed, and neither knew it until they arrived at the wedding. But, what was so sweet about the story is that they were both at the wedding of the little girl after whom Jenny named her daughter. And her daughter Taylor was there as well.

Sadly, the photographer didn't get a photo of the three, or four, but she got a picture of Josh taking a picture of the two Jennys and Taylor.

My cousin Jenny on the right, and Jennifer (looking no older than on her wedding day!) on the left.

Jenny and her daughter Taylor.

So, that's the end of my unbelievable small world story, which ended so happily because a family just got a little bit larger and the love a little bit sweeter.