'Final wish' wedding a beautiful affair, thanks to you

Josefina Ruiz Montejano's wedding day was full of surprises, thanks in part to several Post-Tribune readers.

Last week, I wrote about the 47-year-old Hammond woman, diagnosed late last year with stage four colon cancer. In June, she was told by doctors that her cancer had spread to her liver and lungs. She had only a few months to live, doctors told her, maybe a little longer if she was lucky or blessed.

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When she heard this dire prognosis, she had only one wish.

"She wanted to finally get married," said her boyfriend of 13 years, Luis Montejano.

"I've always been her husband, and she's always been my wife, but now it's official," he told me Wednesday.

Last Saturday – on Oct. 8, the date they first met – the couple exchanged wedding vows at The Lakewood, a swanky venue in Chicago.

"Please say I do," the fancy invitations stated.

I couldn't attend, but I couldn't miss another opportunity to write about their love affair. And to pass along the couple's gratitude to everyone who helped make it a reality.

"My wife and I want to thank everyone who made this happen for us," Luis Montejano said, asking me to share it with readers. "It was wonderful and it went off perfect."

The couple relied on the generosity of family members, friends and strangers who donated most everything for the special occasion, from the venue to his tuxedo to her flower bouquets.

"She had four bouquets to choose from," said Tamye Diaferio of Hammond, a family friend.

As promised beforehand, Luis shaved his head in honor of his bride, who's bald from chemotherapy treatments. Josefina wore a stylish dark wig underneath her white veil, both donated.

"She looked so beautiful," Luis said. "And she was so happy."

The couple has children from previous relationships. Together, they have six grandkids.

Josefina was not only surprised by her daughter arriving from Virginia with her daughters, but also her son arriving to walk her down the aisle.

"Everything was beautiful," Josefina said. "God bless everyone."

The event was attended by more than 100 guests, which turned out to be another surprise for the new bride and groom. To their favorite song, performed in Spanish, they shared their first dance together as husband and wife.

Josefina, a former dancer for ballet Folklorico Manquetzalli, also was entertained by members of a colorful and traditional dance troupe during the wedding reception.

"It was a day filled with laughter and love," said Tamye Diaferio of Hammond, a family friend. "Donations continued to be delivered to the venue all day and night."

"Family, friends and supporters from the community came from far and wide to celebrate with them," she said. "Luis and Josefina could not have been more happy, and they are so grateful for the generosity of everyone who helped make her wedding wish happen for them."

At the end of the long day, Josefina was very weak. Her chronic pain returned after the elixir of excitement wore off.

"What do you want to do, kill me?" she joked to her new husband.

Together, surrounded by loved ones, they shared their first bittersweet chuckle.

Remember face-to-face chats?

I receive dozens of emails each week from readers about my columns. I read hundreds of comments each week about my social media posts. And I listen to quite a few voice mails from Northwest Indiana residents who agree or disagree with my views.

But it's not the same as chatting face-to-face with readers, social media followers or radio show listeners, as I'm reminded at every public presentation I host. This is why I rarely decline an invitation to speak publicly, including the most recent one from Hobart Public Library officials.

At 3 p.m. Saturday, I will discuss with guests a few issues facing Northwest Indiana, the polarizing presidential campaign, the local newspaper industry, and my wayward career which, in an odd twist, was birthed by the suicide death of grunge-rock legend Kurt Cobain.

And, of course, I'll try to answer every question asked, whether it's about delivery issues, regrettable columns, or social media conspiracies. Hope to see you there. Don't be shy. I make sure that these are always lighthearted events.

Pizza and presidential politics?

Dear concerned voters and loyal supporters of Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton: I will soon be hosting a roundtable discussion at a local pizza joint, inviting eight to 10 impassioned, articulate and respectful voters from across Northwest Indiana to hash out the most pressing issues on Americans' minds as Election Day looms less than a month away.

My guests will include Trump supporters, Clinton supporters, undecided voters, and a couple of voters who may be leaning Independent or possibly apathetic amid this volatile campaign. The discussion will hopefully turn into an upcoming column, reflecting what I'm reading on social media and hearing from readers about their polarizing opinions.

As long-time readers may recall, I hosted a similar roundtable discussion in 2008, just before President Obama was elected into office, and that meeting worked out well to get a pulse on this region's thoughts before the general election.

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