Good evening everyone! My name is Christina. I am Dina’s younger looking, but slightly older, sister and proud Maid of Honor. When Dina got engaged a little over a year ago I was so overcome with happiness that I wrote a speech immediately. It’s a beautiful speech…funny, witty, full of charm…and it’s also lost somewhere in my apartment. Three days ago I went searching for it and couldn’t find it anywhere so I decided to start from scratch. So here goes nothing!
I can remember the day that Dina was born (yes, I’m starting WAY BACK)! My older brothers Johnny & Steven and I were at Teta Janette & Uncle Nick’s house. I was only 4 years old and was told that my mom was going to have a baby, but I didn’t really grasp the full concept of how my life would change that day. I remember the telephone ringing and being told, “It’s a girl!” that’s when Steven quickly responded, “OH NO!!! ANOTHER TROUBLE MAKER!!!” And boy was he right!
So I was on top for 4 years…I was the only girl, the youngest in the family, the perfect one…then came along this cute, beautiful baby that everyone was making a huge fuss over. Before Dina came along we didn’t have any family nicknames. But in her first cute, sweet, words she gave us all nicknames. Johnny became Gaga, Steven was now Nini and I became Kika.
Over the next few years my ego was getting bruised because I was losing the “Sister Competition” also known as “I want all the attention on me competition” to a toddler…but then I quickly realized that along with the good attention being put on Dina, so would all the bad attention. Growing up with two older brothers is no walk in the park! My brothers were never diagnosed as mentally insane but I have a few stories that can make you wonder if they were!
Even as a child I was…well, let’s say…“healthy”…so when all the attention was on Dina my brother’s realized that they had a new, perhaps easier, target to pick on. One of the things that they used to do quite often would only be done when my mom would leave to go grocery shopping. Now, if you know my mother, you know that a trip to the grocery store was not a 20 minute leave. She would be there for 2 hours, MINIMUM! That gave my brothers PLENTY of time to reack havoc! As soon as my mom would say she is leaving for the store, you could see the fear in Dina’s eyes!
The moment you heard the door shut my brothers would silently move in unison like a tag team trained by the finest Marines or Air Force Rangers! They would strategically remove all of the belts from the bath robes that we had in the house. Dina would run but she couldn’t hide! My brothers would use the ropes to hog tie her and throw her in the closet!
Now, for those of you who don’t understand what I’m saying, let me paint a picture for you on what hog tying is. They would take her arms and pull them behind her back and tie them together. They would pull her legs behind her and tie her ankles together. THEN they would tie her ankles and arms together! Most of the time they would gag her mouth too so she couldn’t scream, otherwise she would be disturbing the cartoons they were watching. After they tied her up, they would always throw her in the front closet. I probably should have been a good big sister and went to help her out, but I would just sit back and think, “Thank God it isn’t me!”
After a couple of years of this torture Dina became strangely comfortable with this routine. It was almost like watching a cartoon…Johnny & Steven tied her up…throw her in the in the closet and shut the door…and a minute later Dina would come out and victoriously hold up the ropes! By the time she was 6 years old she was a champion escape artist! She got so good at it that eventually, she started to bring the ropes to my brothers and say, “Here, tie me up! And do it really good this time!” and my brother’s would roll their eyes while doing it because it wasn’t as much fun for them anymore!
My brothers used to be big WWF Wrestling fans, so besides the hog ties, my sister and I both endured figure four arms, jumps “off the top rope”, Indian burns, “nuggies” and any other torturous thing you can think of. These stories prove three things:
1. My brother’s REALLY were mentally ill
2. Dina was nuttier than they were because she overcame their crazy attacks and demanded more!
3. I am the black sheep of the family and that’s a REALLY GOOD THING!
Growing up this way has to be the reason that Dina is as tough and strong now as an adult. This is the reason why she has been so successful in life. She’s worked very hard for everything that she has, probably because she wanted to get out of the crazy house! But she never did. Dina has lived in the same home for 25 years because even though she has a crazy family, we’re HER family, and I know that she never would, or could, want to live without all of us.
Dina, I’m so happy that you met someone that can finally take you out of your crazy home! You found a man that loves you more than words can say and that cherishes everything about you. I know that he will be a good provider, protector, husband and father.
Manny, I’ve never had a baby brother. You are the missing puzzle piece that makes this family whole. You are not only getting a new bride that loves you deeply and respects you fully, but you are also getting a boat load of crazy in-laws! I love you so much and I can’t wait to have the chance to hog tie you and throw you in the closet!
I’m not married, so the only marriage advice I can give you is what I have learned from our awesomely beautiful church and its wonderful leaders. Put God first, even before each other. Pray together, not just by going to church on Sundays, but pray together daily, and multiple times a day. Ask God for humility, then work very hard to change and overcome your natural inclinations. Give time for silence so that you will hear God answer your prayers. Respect each other and always support each other, even when you don’t see eye to eye.
Dina, let Manny be the man of your home. Let him guide your family spiritually, emotionally and in every way. Give up yourself to him; give your name up for him. Don’t look to the world as an example of what a wife and mother should be but look to the scriptures for THE TRUTH of what a wife and mother should be.
Manny, you have the most important and hardest part of all. Love my sister, as Christ loves his church. Look to Jesus as your model of what a man is. Lead your family in faith. Guide her properly so she may surrender to you. Be decisive, but gentle. Respond to her emotions and not her logic.
Dina and Manny, “Be watchful, stand firm in your faith, be courageous, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.” 1 Cor 16:13-14
I love you and wish you a lifetime of happiness.
