Girl gets brooches

Boy proposes to Girl.
Girl says yes.
Boy goes to war.
Girl plans a wedding.
Girl asks for help.
Girl gets brooches.

I have been absolutely blown away by the response I have gotten when it comes to my brooch bouquet. I sort of expected my family to send me brooches, and maybe some friends... but blog readers? And people I've never met? BLOWN. AWAY.

A few days ago I received a package that totally shocked me. And made me cry. Good tears, and sad tears. I blogged a year and a half ago about the passing of my childhood friend, Ethan. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, you can go back and read that blog here. When I opened the package, I pulled out a letter from a girl that I have never met. But Ethan was our mutual friend. This is what the letter said,

Dear Diandra,
As I mentioned in my email to you, I was introduced to your blog through Ethan Townsend. While he is no longer with us, I know if he was around, he would want to contribute in some way to your wedding. Therefore, I wanted to take it upon myself to partake in this project on his behalf.
I met Ethan through one of my best friends. Ethan and my friend Andy met at Stanford University their freshman year and quickly became best friends. They went on to room together for multiple years and travel around the US and internationally. I told Andy about your blog and I wanted to share a quick snippet of our conversation. Andy thought it was amazing that Ethan was able to bring people together in life and in death. But most of all, I want to stress to you how lucky you are that you are able to marry your best friend. When I told Andy about the bouquet, he said that one of the hardest things he has had to come to terms with, beyond not being able to pick up his phone and just chat with Ethan about whatever random thing had happened that day, was the fact that his best friend, the person whom he imagined would stand by him on his wedding day, as his man of honor, would no longer be able to be there to stand by him on one of the most important days of his life.
I hope that you like both of these flowers and that they can each be a good addition to your bouquet. I cant wait to see how the whole DIY project comes together. I only wish you the best in life for you and your future husband.
Sincerely,
Sara

I have enjoyed getting brooches from everyone. But this particular package was so near and dear to my heart. This is exactly the reason I wanted to put together this bouquet. To have a little piece of the people I love with me on my wedding day. Including the ones that cannot be there in person.

I am so grateful to Sara and Andy for sharing such a special gift with me on behalf of Ethan.