2018 Steven Kochakji &Ann Huang: Wedding Speech of Anna Kochakji

Описание: Good afternoon dear families and friends.
I am so thrilled to be here to attend the wedding of my youngest son, Steven, and beautiful Anne. Thank you for welcoming my son over the past several years. What a beautiful family he has married into. I would like to tell you about Steven and what led him to this incredible day.
He was born into a loving family, the 8th of 10 children. When he was three days old, I took him to church to thank God for this perfect, healthy baby. At that point he opened his eyes and looked right into my eyes. I will never forget it. Because I saw in those eyes, and that sweet face my father, who had passed away 8 months earlier. My father was the most loving, tender, gentle, easy going person that I had ever known. When I looked into little Steven’s face, I knew all those wonderful qualities would be in this perfect baby boy. I remember saying to my mother, this little boy will be just like papa. When this special baby reached the age of two and a half years, he figured out how to use a screw driver, and break out of our screen door to make his great escape out to the front yard. No one could believe it. At the age of three, this boy had the most amazing curiosity. He put many portable telephones into the toilet, to see if they would float. Another time I left him in the backyard for one minute to check on something inside. When I came out, he had disappeared. I screamed “Steven, Steven, where are you?” A little voice responded, “Up here, up here mommy, look up.” Within one minute, he had climbed a ten foot ladder and was sitting on a tree branch, grinning away. He never went to bed like his siblings. Instead, we would find him in different places. Often under the table, behind a couch, or under a laundry pile, with his little but up in the air, sound asleep. That was little preschool Steven, the curious little monkey, an adventurer.
Steven’s childhood was immersed in the chaos and joy of being raised in a big family. His big brothers loved teasing him, and named him “popsy” because he had a big bulging tummy. His five sisters loved him and included him in everything. He stood out with his beautiful go, golden curls.
Steven became a Boy Scout, played sports, excelled in his art, and achieved great grades. Through boy scouts he worked on many community service projects and became an Eagle Scout, an incredible honor.
Steven worked hard to support himself all through college. His passion was teaching. Upon receiving his credential, he applied at many schools for teaching positions, but there were none to be had. This was a challenging time for him, he did not want to give up on his dream of teaching. He tapped into his early curiosity and sense of adventure, leaving his comfort zone and loving family. Steven decided to leave the country to join the U.S. Peace Corps, to teach in Kazakhstan. His family would miss him dearly, but this way he would still be able to teach, and expand his horizons.
After a year and half of service, he returned home, but unfortunately there were no teaching positions available. He was determined to teach, and chose to go to Taiwan, where there were more opportunities to do so. That decision changed his entire life.
The day he called me to tell me about meeting Ann, his voice was filled with excitement and joy. As there love grew, so did my acceptance of the void his absence made in our family. I was able to accept it because I knew he had finally achieved his teaching goal, and even more importantly, his search for true love. This love could not have been any more perfect than what he found with Anne. She is brilliant, beautiful, joyful, nurturing, energetic and positive. She was the answer to my prayers. He had to come almost 7000 miles to find her, but she was worth it! Ann is the reason I find a deep comfort and inner peace, despite the tears of separation when he leaves for Taiwan again. I am comforted in knowing that he goes from my arms to his beloved Ann’s arms.
I am honored to be here today to celebrate this glorious occasion, the wedding of Steven and Ann, and the union of two amazing families. I stand here not only representing the Kochakjis present, but also his father, other siblings, and loved ones that could not make it. I want to thank God for bringing Steven and Anne together, and I ask him to continues to bless them and their families abundantly with joy, good health, longevity and peace. Amen! Steven and Ann, I love you.