A lasting memory from my sister's wedding

It wasn't walking my twin down the aisle on her wedding day. Nor was it walking around her reception with my 10-month old niece clinging to my fingertip for support and balance. It wasn't hugging my new twin-in-law minutes after the ceremony or listening to my sister's new brother-in-law give a great toast. Nor was it enjoying the company of my family being in one place for the first time since June or seeing several people I hadn't seen in years.

No, it wasn't any of those otherwise fine memories that I will remember for a long time that stuck out to me the most. That moment came long after the reception had ended and the bride and groom had driven off to start their lives together. Long after the reception hall had been cleaned and all the guest had left.

For when the party was over, one question had yet to be answered: what to do with the nearly 20 gallons of soup and chili left untouched by friends and family. My mother expressed her desire to donate it to a local homeless shelter and a quick Google search on my phone found such a place.

My mom, my sister's who didn't change their last names yesterday and I drove there with four buckets of soup and chili. As we were carrying it in, this lady standing outside asked what we had and suggested we take the food to a place behind the building we were entering. The place was closing and only had room in their fridge for a portion of the food so my mom asked the lady what place she was talking about.

I carried the buckets of soup though the building and around the corner to the building as the lady had suggested. The first place had been a place that helps homeless people get back on their feet. The second place provided the homeless with a hot meal and place to sleep and though they wouldn't open for another hour, there was already a line outside their door, including a lady with two small kids.

Because I first tried to go to the backdoor, my mom and I made it to the shelter's front door about the same time after she went back to the truck to get a few bags of other leftover items. We left the food at the shelter and headed back to the truck.

As we walked back together, my mom said she was happy we were able to donate the soup somewhere it wouldn't go to waste.

It was that moment that I will forever remember from the day my sister married the boy who used to live across the street from us in sixth grade. For that is the moment that I realized just how much my family has. We had just spent the day together, with friends, celebrating a major milestone for any family.

Despite the power not working in the kitchen for a few hours, Men's Warehouse messing up on the color of my vest, a guest showing up late and the many, many last minute trips to Target for various items, yesterday was one of those days where life just doesn't get any better. And yet, there are people out there with nothing.

My twin married the only man she's ever loved yesterday. One of my other sisters is in a marriage so strong it will survive the year they have to spend apart thanks to back-to-back six-month deployments with the Air Force. The other one is happily married and the mother of the most adorable little girl in the world. After a lifetime of raising the four of us as a single parent, my mother now gets to spend every day of her life watching her only grandchild grow up.

And me? Well, I'm the man who's lucky enough to call these amazing women my sisters and mother.