At the hospital, Mom and I were talking about the wedding. What we were going to wear. Who would be there. The little details families talk about when something happy is coming.
Dad overheard us and asked, “Well… what am I wearing?”
I told him, “You should wear your blue shirt. You look good in blue.”
None of us—thought he wouldn’t be here for the wedding. Not then.
Because in our minds, there was still time. Time to be together. Time for him to smile as his firstborn grandson said, “I do.” Time for us to laugh at Dad’s perfectly timed one-liners when we all started to get too sappy.
Time.
But life changed faster than our hearts could catch up. And now the wedding is almost here. My favorite boy will marry the girl he loves.
And we will celebrate! We will hug. We will laugh. We will dance.
But there will also be a quiet space beside us where Dad should be.
And maybe that’s why I keep thinking about that blue shirt. Because none of us knew that ordinary conversation would someday feel sacred.
So maybe on the wedding day, if the sky feels extra bright, or a song hits at the right moment, or we have some little sign that feels more than coincidence…I’ll believe it’s Dad.
Anyway… off we go—because weddings still need celebrated, love and family still need cherished, and sometimes life lets grief take the backseat so joy can take the wheel…and maybe somehow we’ll know Dad showed up in blue. 
© 2026 Anyway… Off We Go™ by Erica Shoemaker. All rights reserved.
Anyway...Off We Go 