Hey, y’all. It’s Amie.

“Can I get a shoutout in your newsletter?” my husband asked, carrying the biggest Blueberry Red Bull I’ve ever seen. He said he’d incredulously read—multiple times—last week about my lack of caffeine, and he wanted to quell my longing. That’s love, y’all.

You know, Kody and I were talking with a family member last Wednesday about how lucky we feel to’ve met each other. She commented about how “perfect” our marriage is. We both looked at each other and laughed. “It’s not that it’s perfect,” I said. “It’s that we’re in love. There’s a big difference.” 

Perfect is a never-ending supply of energy drinks in our cabinet. In love treats me with the same kindness and gentleness when I’m under-caffeinated as it does when I’m bouncing off the walls. Maybe the magic isn’t in how smooth the road is, but in the love that keeps walking beside us when it gets bumpy. This week’s emotionally impactful letter to Grace carried me right back to that old truth—and I’m so glad you’re here to read it, too. 

P.S. We’d like to extend a sincere and genuine thank you to all of the veterans in our subscriber list for your service to our country. Our offices are closed tomorrow to honor Veterans Day, so we won’t be sending out a newsletter. We’ll see you again, right here in your inbox, at noon on Wednesday. 

Dear Grace,

I am marrying the love of my life in a couple of months! Until now, everything has gone perfectly, and I’ve been so excited. We are writing our own vows, we love our venue, and my sister and I DIYed a bunch of the signs and table settings.

The only major issue is that now, I don’t think my parents can come. My sister and I are both citizens, but my parents have not become citizens yet after immigrating here. My whole life, I have watched them balance working full-time and raising us with immigration interviews and doing mountains of paperwork late into the night. 

Last month, my mom and dad had to go back to their home country because my Grandma was getting surgery and needed help, but now their green card process is delayed, and they can’t come back until they get new papers. This could take months or years. This wasn’t supposed to happen; their lawyer told them it would be fine.

I’ve been crying ever since they told me. My mom was supposed to give a speech. My dad was supposed to walk me down the aisle. If they can’t be there, it won’t be right. My fiancé has been really nice and supportive, but he can’t fix it. 

Should we cancel the wedding? I don’t know what to do.

— Devastated Bride-To-Be, West Texas

Dear Devastated,

Oh friend, I am so sorry you’re going through this. Planning a wedding is hard enough—sticking to a budget, choosing the right cake, managing family drama. 

And now, on top of everything, you’re being told your parents might not be able to come because of some immigration red tape? That’s just plain heartbreaking and unfair. 

At the end of the day, weddings are supposed to be full of joy, not bad news and government paperwork. 

Let’s take this one step at a time so we can figure out how to keep your heart in the day…

We are a staff divided.

So we’re asking you to settle our great debate: When should the Christmas tree go up? 

Help us decide—once and for all—if the tree should already be up, go up around Thanksgiving, or wait until later in the season. 

We’ll feature a few of the best responses in our newsletter on Friday, so be sure to email me at amie@couriernewsroom.com to express your opinion before then. 

Drivers along I-66 in Arlington were greeted with a banner thanking voters and urging them to “keep going” (Brendan Smith/Dogwood)

Brendan Smith was supposed to be here as an intern for a single summer in 2024. But when the summer wrapped up and classes started again, we came together as a group and asked the person over the college internship program a simple question: If he wants to, can he please stay with us for a semester? 

One semester turned into two, two semesters turned into the following summer, and the summer turned into the first semester of his senior year. In that time, he’s really diversified his portfolio—from writing articles about Virginia ice cream shops to locking in an interview with a House of Delegates candidate before the recent election. 

In a news cycle that trends toward the negative so often, Brendan’s opportunistic approach shines a light through the shadows. On Thursday, he sent our team this picture, which he snapped below an overpass on I-66 in Arlington. Honestly, I love everything about this picture: The sun’s shining, the message is kind, and it just evokes such a sense of peace after a really tense election season.

As we phase out of our weekly Election Day Counter section (there are 358 days left, if you’re wondering), Brendan’s photograph is the perfect way to end it. No matter which candidates you marked on your ballot, thank you. Thank you for voting. Thank you for performing your civic duty. Thank you for participating and letting your voice shine at the ballot box. Until next time—thank you, Virginia. 

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