Love is in the air...and in my circle of friends, three of us are marrying off children in the next 10 days. Actually, there's a fourth and fifth marriage in the mix - one took place two weeks ago; in the great state of California, a girlfriend's son vowed to love a beautiful young lady forever. Additionally, my friend Peter who is in his 50's will marry for the very first time to Lisa the end of the month.
If you read the newspapers - there are stories and pictures of unbelievable horror and despair coming at you from all over the planet. If you take these headlines to heart; it will break in pieces.
Despite those wars in the Middle East, sick global economies, droughts, earthquakes, famines and more - hope for the future is clear in the eyes of people amongst us.
That, my friends, is putting one big smile across my face.
Having worked for a free publication, I believed paid newspapers had somehow gotten it all wrong...they made people pay for wedding announcements, anniversaries and engagements - yet placed all the scandalous, brutal, horrendous, gut-wrenching-heinous-crime-gory-detailed AP copy on those same pages - FOR FREE.
A friend of my mom's once told me that television and newspapers were the "news of the DEVIL". I thought Mrs. M was nuts...well actually, Mrs. M was nuts - but I agree with her.
In the world today, happiness doesn't sell newspapers. At least a major Internet homepage gives you the occasional dancing puppy to take your mind off the stuff that is important to be aware of - yet, for the most part, is out of your control.
In my world, I try to surround myself with positive things and people. I know the negativity and darkness is out there. I don't need a paper to remind me of what I knew before I started Kindergarten.
I don't want to sound like a Pollyanna but with the barrage of information being thrown at me from every direction, on countless technical devices I've allowed into my life - it's healthy to draw the line on bad news. If you can take it, fine; but I can't - and I won't allow things I can't change to ruin my day. Life throws enough swords at me; and I'm going to stop, drop and roll to avoid as many as I can.
I am presently surrounded by happiness; oh yes, there's the stress of the dress, blues over shoes, flair over hair and all the girly part of the happy couple's big day. Marrying off a son is no less grand of a place to be than the Mother of the Bride. I want the best for our sons and daughters who now stand at the threshold of the rest of their lives. It's exciting, wonderful and just plain fun.
None of this will make the front page of a newspaper - yet all of it will be front and center in our hearts. That's the good news!!!
Congratulations Travis, Kenny, Carrie, Evan and Lisa...God Bless You All.
And to my fellow Mother of the Bride/Groom friends...11 days from now we will be talking about our own hopes, fears, aches, pains, shrinking 401k's and go back to our lives as being 'just us'...
...which is pretty wonderful, when you think about it.
Let's here it for love and weddings - as well as all of the things that make you feel good inside and just happy to be.
Yes, just happy to be.
Love,
Mzz Patsy
