Letting Go

It has been a very busy week indeed.  Monday through Wednesday I was in Lynwood, at the Hampton Inn. I had no idea that it is really the Hilton. I was a guest and I had the best time ever shopping, enjoying nice meals included with out stay and watching a movie in the comfort of our sparkling white two queen size beds. The fees included breakfast and a dinner  till seven o'clock; with some wine. Apparently, only this Hampton Inn offers the dinner also, so one night we rushed back from Macey's in order to get a meal before retiring for the night. I had no idea that some people make regular trips in order to capitalize on purchases that are unique, and on sale. We stopped by multitudes of bridal consignment shops looking for veils, and flower girl dresses, as well as a dress for me. We stopped by many craft stores, to find the perfect silk flowers for the wedding, and stores such as Fred and Myers.
The lady I went with assisted me getting in and out of dresses I tried on, and I felt really good about the dress I bought. The price was right too. A dress that was held for me here in Belissima's I returned, as they had no return policy. Once the dress is taken out of the store, it is yours to keep forever... and ever. The way it was explained to me was that upon ordering the dress from another store I had 7 days to return it. What I found out later was that I had seven days to pick it up. So shoppers beware....
 I bought shoes for my two daughters who will be bridesmaids, flat, and beige pink in colour. I even found a tall suit for my husband, but unfortunately I may have to take it back as the alterations cost a fortune. Norstrum Rack is where I found it, and they include one hundred dollars for tailoring, but that would mean two trips to the near Seattle area of Washington, almost 2 hours drive, plus the border crossing time. My friend was right. Shopping is hard work. One constantly thinks how things might work out better, cheaper and even more nicer.  Sadly, the veil, and flowers we were not found. Many of the flowers had green or yellow hues, and the veils were either too long or too short. I don't think I can ever cover the terrain we did in two and a half days in my lifetime, but I learned how the wise shop. My friend even had the hotel staff print out direction to all the consignment stores before we headed out. One little glitch was a parking ticket, as our meter expired by a few minutes. Thankfully, it wasn't a big one.

Today the invitation cards arrived. I am amazed that my daughter and her fiance have arranged this whole event in such a short time. Six months to plan a wedding is almost a marathon now days, and they are continuing their studies and work full time. The wedding ring for the groom is yet to be determined as he would like to have a very special one. In our humble situation, the parents of the couple are not able to assist much with this blessed event. It is the couple whose sweat is imprinted in the fabric of their hearts desire. They want it a reality and they are working towards it. In some situations, it is the parents who are able to take the lead and plan and finance the wedding. This too is commendable, in that case I would encourage the bride and groom to just accept graciously, and be thrilled with the enthusiasm of the parents. After all, it is a huge cost saving for a young couple just setting out. Even when a different style of wedding would have been much more preferred, such as a destination wedding, remember that you will have that opportunity to travel in the future. I'm reminded that it is more blessed to give then to receive, so treat it as a gift you are giving your parents to bless you.
I remember baptizing one of my daughters as a baby. I knew that such a step has to be taken by an individual as an adult, but I allowed it to go ahead anyways, to give comfort to my mom. The "holy water" didn't help or hurt my daughter, but it gave joy to my mom that it was done.  Life is way to complicated to fret over little things. We must try to let go, and receive even the smallest things with kindness and gratitude. For instance, just today, as I took my daughter to the mechanic to pick up her car, our dear mechanic of many years offered his sympathy and disbelief over the loss of our daughter. Sitting in the car seat, I reached out for his hand and held it for a moment, shook it, and acknowledged what he said in silence. So much better than texting, don't you think? These human connections, must continue to be done with grace and kindness in mind. Deborah's birthday is fast approaching in mid March, and we are bracing ourselves for more pain and sorrow.