The Wedding Toast I Almost Didn't Give

My best friend Imani asked me to give a toast at her wedding. I'm a terrible public speaker. My hands shake holding a coffee cup in a meeting.

I wrote nine drafts. Then, the night before, I threw them away and wrote down three true things: that she once drove four hours to bring me soup when I had the flu; that she sings to her houseplants; and that I'd never seen her look at anyone the way she looks at Jordan.

When I stood up, my voice cracked on the first sentence. Then I saw her face and forgot to be scared. People laughed at the houseplant part. They got quiet at the soup part. Jordan reached over and squeezed her hand.

Afterwards, her grandmother found me by the dessert table and said, "That was a good one." I've received a lot of compliments in my life. That's the one I'm keeping.