A Toast to Bill and Amy

As many of you know, I am the youngest of three brothers. There is Tom, the wise grayish-haired elder. (At least he has hair.) Then there is Bill, who is 50% Rock Star, 50% comedian, and always entertaining. Both are 100% successful. I am blessed with two amazing brothers. As I contemplate the concept of brothers, I was trying think of a modern analogy that everyone could relate to. I struggled to find something recent. I know Nick and Jordan will understand “Step Brothers” but I don’t think that fits with anything I am trying to say.

For those of us older than 40, it might be Wally and Beaver Cleaver. Wally and Beaver always seemed to be pretty close. They hung out and had fun on a fairly regular basis. I always wondered what happened to that relationship when Wally started chasing the girls. That would leave Beaver to hang out with Larry Mondello. Larry may have been a nice enough guy, but he never struck me as a guy that could replace Wally as a friend. I guess that how it is with brothers.

I don’t think I could say that Bill and I had a Wally and Beaver relationship. We had the 45^th Street Good guys, but soon girls and music consumed Bill’s life, and so I hung out with Larry Mondello, who in my case was Mark Blair. But I never stopped looking up to my brothers, whether it was hitting home runs out of Hodge Park or jamming on stage with Trail Time. I was always very proud to be Bill Tingle’s little brother. In fact, it led to my first entrepreneurial experience as I learned that I could sell his senior picture to the girls of my freshman and sophomore classmates for a buck a piece. I thank God we didn’t have Facebook back then or I would have been broke.

As we got older we did what most brothers do, we started living our lives in separate cities. Sure we kept in touch with the occasional phone and email, and we would bring the families together at Thanksgiving and Christmas, but we were never close like when were kids sitting in the picnic table/dugout in the backyard/home field on 45^th Street.

That all changed almost 2 years ago. The distance from St Louis to Kansas City shrank quite a bit, and I found a new best friend (well second best friend. I married my best, best friend). In a very short period of time Bill and I reconnected like only brothers can. I remember as a kid, laying on the bunk beds, having great conversations before we dozed off – some were serious, others were laugh out loud hysterical. Today we have similar conversations; many times they are serious deep. Other times they are crazy funny. Always they are memorable. In the course of the last two years, I have learned a great deal about my brother, the adult. He is a man of tremendous kindness and generosity. He is a man of great faith. He is a man with unconditional love for his boys. He is man of integrity. Most importantly, he is man I am proud to call my brother and my friend.

And then one year ago, I believe that it was exactly one year ago this weekend, we first met the woman that he described to me as someone special. I soon found out how special she is. She quickly figured out that to make in this family, you have to be able to dish it out. Amy can take care of that like no one’s business.  Since then I have found that, each time we get together, I see why exactly why Bill fell in love with her. She is, indeed, a very special lady.

And so today I am honored, I am privileged, and I am truly touched to raise my glass in honor of two very special people. The brother who for the last year has told me about this amazing woman he has come to know and love, and to that woman, who has chosen him to share a wonderful life. Bill and Amy, I wish that every day be filled with years of happiness. I hope that every moment is full of a lifetime of blessings. May this be the first chapter in a wonderful romantic story (not the drippy, sappy Harlequin romance novel with Fabio on the cover, but maybe more like the Princess Bride with action, adventure, and of course, true love).  To Bill and Amy, may God forever bless your love, your lives, and your marriage. Cheers!