Last night one of my best friends got married. 5 minutes before her wedding was to start, Mitch came up to me and said He just got a phone call, his dad had a stroke! He left to be by his side and I made my way up the aisle to perform my duties as a bridesmaid and found myself in a daze all evening. As my beautiful friend and her new husband danced their first dance as husband and wife, I couldn't help but look at them and think of how this moment was going to stand in their minds forever as one of the best for them. Dancing, in love, nothing else on their minds but each other and how perfect everything was for them. What was far from their minds was how much their life could change and transform. That in ten years later they could be in my place or in another place that wasnt familiar to them. Facing new challenges and problems. Having the stress of children, families, finances, life in general. When we say "I DO" We are saying much than "yes I love you and take you forever" We are saying "I DO" to each other's families, each other's problems and weaknesses. Say YES to sharing a life with one another despite all the bad things that may come our way. What an overwhelming burden it can be!
How I envied their moment terribly. The freedom of having nothing to do but stare in each other's eyes and be in that moment. It broke my heart. I completely lost it. I broke down in a uncontrollable sob and cried like I hadnt cried in years. Im sure people thought "Someone needs to get that bridesmaid outta here!" I missed my husband being there, I was upset about my father in law. My mind was clouded with the trials of the day and I couldnt help but wonder "Is this how its supposed to be?" We start out in such a blissful state and then LIFE grabs a hold of us and pulls us in to its grasp. Life can be unfair, unjust, hard, unbearable, heartbreaking, sad, depressing, moody, and just plain rough. How do we learn to say "I DO" when we "DONT REALLY WANT TO"?
We dont want to have all the bad. We want the good. But isnt it the bad, that makes the good look so good?
After I watched Diana and her dad dance together to their song,Landslide by Fleetwood Mac. This thought put my mind at ease. Everything has a season and a reason. Sometimes we dont know the reason but we need to feel in our hearts that it is going they way it is supposed to go for us. The lyrics that stood out were...
"Oh, mirror in the sky
What is love
Can the child within my heart rise above
Can I sail thru the changing ocean tides
Can I handle the seasons of my life."
We will soon find ourselves at the end of many roads we have taken and wouldnt be nice that the road we finally take is home. Home to our Heavenly Father. Home to our family and friends there waiting for us.This life isnt permanant. It is only temporary. This life of trials and tribulations will soon end and then we can look back at this journey as an experience of our souls. That if we are lucky we get to live, love and laugh with those we call family.