Diana and Matt

For the past 23½ years, no one would say the relationship between my sister, Diana, and I have been anything short of trying. Well, at least for my parents anyway. Of course, none of this was my doing. To the best of my recollection, I was on every occasion the recipient of relentless provocation to wrath. OK, maybe not on every occasion.

Basically, we fought like cats and dogs. If there could be a disagreement, we would be diametrically opposed to one another. If there was an opportunity to provoke the other, without hesitation, it would be taken. There was no such thing as a quiet afternoon or a relaxing car ride with us. Every interaction required a theatrical overreaction.

Any onlooker would have been easily misled into thinking we hated each other. We didn’t hate each other. We often detested the presence of the other, but never hated each other. Truth be told, even then, I loved my sister. There is no way I would have let anyone else get away with the way I treated her. In fact, I have always been quite protective (borderline overprotective) of Diana. Once boys started coming around, my sensors went up and I was on the lookout. No guy would ever hurt my sister if I had anything to say about it.

And believe me; I had a lot to say about it.

None of the guys that Diana ever brought home were ever good enough. Quite naturally, I had very high standards for whomever she chose. Some I didn’t trust at all. Some were just plain weird. Whatever the situation, I knew Diana could do better. No matter how long they dated, I remained unwavering in my conviction that I didn’t like the guy. I would give my parents what I thought were undisputable arguments as to why they should forbid her from seeing him. But, Mom would inevitably always say, “He’s a nice boy. You need to give him a chance.” Without regret, I never did. I would try my hardest to like them, but they never won my approval. And, of course, my approval was more important than anyone else’s. Or, at least, so I thought. No one ever agreed. It didn’t matter much though. Eventually, things wouldn’t work out, they would break up and it would be clearly seen that this was for the best.

I state again, Diana has never brought home a guy that I liked. That was until she brought home Matt. I was shocked. I liked him from the start. The more I got to know him, the more he grew on me. Diana had finally found a guy I approved of without hesitation. He was a perfect match for her. He wasn’t a jerk, but he wasn’t a push over either. And, anyone who knows Diana at all knows that she does not need a push over. He was a guy with integrity and character. Well, I guess that actually depends on whether you go by the first polygraph or the second. He fit in great with the rest of the family. In fact, I actually liked hanging out with him. I looked forward to having him come down to the Beach to visit with Mom, Dad and Diana. When I would go home, we would have a great time whether it was biking or watching Family Guy. He became part of our family.

Now, in less than a week they will be getting married. I’m thrilled and couldn’t be happier for either of them. He has a promising future in a highly honorable career as a State Police officer. Most importantly, he has shown an unwavering commitment to loving my sister. I have no doubt in my mind that he will be an excellent husband and, Lord willing in time, a good father of her children.