the most interesting person in the world

Do you remember the most interesting man in the world? He was introduced through an ad campaign for Dos Equis Beer.  The most interesting man in the world: “Once while sailing around the world, he discovered a shortcut. When he drives a new car off the lot, it increases in value. His beard alone has experienced more than a lesser man’s entire body.” We were enamoured with everything about him being just one nuance away from normal. He was taking the known and normal and making it unique, a little tougher, and a little stranger. For those of us who like to step outside the norm and test the creative aspects of who we are, it was attractive. 

But becoming the most interesting person in the world is something we all should do. And we can. 

My daughter and new son, who were married last Saturday, have a very healthy perspective on their wedding day. My daughter told me, “Mom, it’s just one day, while our marriage is forever.” That’s a healthy view on commitment and what’s important. But even though they have that perspective, their wedding celebration was filled with things that made it uniquely fit them: an inflatable triceratops for the first look, a donut wall, and a kid’s party in place of the rehearsal dinner. It was fun and uniquely them. 

But Jael & Chris also filled their day with some really special history. This photo is the back of their wedding program and shows you how they included the physical elements of their family histories in the wedding and reception.

Mr & Mrs Hoover’s Wedding Program

One of my favorites is that my daughter now wears her Great Grandmother’s wedding ring fused to a new white gold band. Great Grandma’s ring was too fragile to resize and wear alone. The ring Jael now wears is 87 years old and just a few weeks old at the same time. That’s an amazing legacy for our family and her future family, children, and grandchildren.  

These kids, our daughter and new son, are creating a family legacy that makes them the most interesting people in the world. In twenty years, they’ll sit around the table and tell their family about the crazy antics at their wedding and what the day meant to them. Just like we all should do, they have taken the important parts of tradition and family history to shape them into something that is uniquely their own and part of their story together. 

Tradition and legacy are  important. We are honored to pass it down and grow our kid’s passion for our families by creating and telling the stories of our lives.  But tradition and legacy aren’t the be-all-end-all. They are just the very beginning. They are the foundation we lay for our children and grandchildren as they build their own stories. 

We become the most interesting people in the world to our family as we combine who we are with our family traditions and legacy. The most interesting person in the world isn’t a character on a commercial. It’s you. Just like my kids did on their wedding day, show your family who you truly are, tell them a story, and let them be enamoured with the most interesting person in the world to them. You.

Searching for wisdom and asking for grace,

Jody