“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot…” Today Jon and Charisse are starting their journey as a couple. They are to embark onto uncharted course fueled by their love for each other, and guided by the affection and wisdom of us who love them.

 

My task today is, in part, to shed some light about Charisse as a person. I gather it is a bit late for Jon to back out now.

 

Anyway here goes….

 

Beneath Ayet’s fragile exterior lies a strong person. In 1998, she went to the New York to attend Jay’s wedding. She stayed on and never left. Today, Ayet, like many in this room, is a living testament of the proverbial verse in a song. Indeed, she has made something of herself in New York City. This achievement was purely based on raw talent and undying determination. It is rooted in the unbending belief that limited resources are not a barrier to success, and that with playing field leveled the best - like the cream - floats to the top. In New York City she found a home. In New York City Ayet re-connected with Jon. The rest, as we say, is now history unfolding.

 

A couple of years ago, fueled by desire for self-improvement, Ayet enrolled herself to the prestigious Columbia University. It was to better equip her to deal with children with autism.  Charisse graduated from Miriam College with a degree in Psychology. And after brief stints with various companies, she found her calling in dealing with children with developmental needs. I am not sure where the desire stemmed from. It was surely not because she wanted to become a doctor. She gave that up early on after watching St. Elsewhere and the likes. I believe it is because she grew up with our father in politics who had unwittingly inculcated in all of us the desire to help the marginalized and the disadvantaged. She worked her way through the post-graduate degree while working practically full time. Indeed, her time management skills are admirable. And a little over a year ago, Ayet became the second member in our family to graduate with a Master’s Degree from an Ivy League school in the United States.

 

Sure I could have said something about how beautiful she is, and how kind and wonderful a daughter, sister and aunt she is. While true these are trivial compared to the true feisty, determined, self-assessing free spirit that Ayet is. Congratulations, Jon! Ayet, we are most proud of you.

 

Finally, on behalf of the family, our toast is: “To the lamp of love - may it burn brightest in the darkest hours and never flicker in the winds of trial.”