David Michael Smith -- the BEST man!

[this is the toast that my nephew David gave at my brother Danny's wedding reception on Sat. 13 Feb. 2010]

When I got the news that Cookie and my father were finally going to get married, I was happy. I remember the day that my father told me that Cookie wanted to push the wedding back from April to February so I could be home for the wedding. I was happy because that showed me that I was already accepted as a part of her family from the beginning. At the time, I knew that there was a lot of time in advance, but I could not wait, because in my line of work you miss out on so many births, deaths, holidays, birthdays, and so on. During that phone conversation, my father asked me to be his best man. I could not get the words out fast enough because I was so stunned that my father wanted me to play a key role in the wedding. I was so honored that my father wanted me to be the best man, I cried tears of joy after I got off the phone with him.

I remember when my aunt Evelyn married my uncle Tim and my father gave her away. In a sense, I felt like I was giving away my father. My father is the most important man in my life. He always took care of me.... My father is my lifesaver, he is my hero, he is my motivation, he is my will to continue on a path on the straight and narrow....

Cookie is one of the nicest people I know. I’ve personally never heard her yell either. I remember when I was younger, I always wanted a brother.... But in the long run, I ended up with two more brothers and a sister. I could not ask for more.... Welcome to the family.