Happenings along the way ♡: June 2014

Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Sunday, June 22, 2014

My mom is now quite elderly and is not the same woman she was even a few years ago. However, one thing that has not changed is her faith in God. Do some people have a closer connection to God? I am here to tell you I have seen examples of incidents that could only come from God. I was once told that my mother was the meanest woman on earth. I think what they meant to say was that she was the most focused, determined, and God loving woman I know. The only reason she is still here is because she never gives up. She still wants to drive a car even though she is close to a 100. I tell her to relax and let someone else take care of driving, but that is not good enough for her. She hasn't missed church in years. Her hearing is horrible, but she goes to church regularly and taught Sunday School for 50 years.

One day I was on crutches and in extreme pain. I gave her my daily call explaining my problem. She accepts no problems or diseases. It is possible to overcome anything. Within 30 minutes after calling her, I went to the store and was walking normally. I knew it was her that had prayed for me and now things were fine. On Friday I got documentation that should have never come to me, but was needed to complete her taxes. It was unlikely that the government would make a mistake. I knew that the letter was connected to a hotline to a higher power even though she knew nothing about it. She got lost while driving one day and ended up at the home of the receptionist for a neighborhood church that she now attends. A miracle? Something definitely working in her favor.

My friend recently invited her mom to move into her home. Her mom is also a great example of a strong God fearing woman. She was praying an emotional prayer for a large group of people at lunch recently,,,,, not the one about being grateful for the food. She stopped in the middle of the prayer and said, "You know God we own nothing. Everything belongs to you including this house". After going through a divorce and losing so many of my things, I realized that material things mean nothing. It was the best lesson I could have ever learned. I am amazed when I see people collecting objects that will mean nothing to the next person when they die. This woman has taught me so much about life, love, friendship, and that God is in control. God does own the house and I'm OK with that.

My biggest fear of losing my mom is also losing that special connection that I know is available though her talks with God. Even if you do not believe in God you would be amazed by the wisdom and dedication in these women that walk in faith.

A Strong Woman

Princess Diana

Stop This Train (John Mayer Cover) - Cameron Mitchell

Unconditional Love

A dog will teach you unconditional love. If you can have that in your life, things won't be too bad.

Robert Wagner

Christina Perri "A Thousand Years" Music Video - 'Breaking Dawn' Soundtrack

Monday, June 16, 2014

Wedding Tips for the Mother of the Groom

How to Avoid Crying if you are the Mother of the Groom

Stay focused and think about other things that are not emotional. Worry about having enough parking spaces for the guests, or if you can wear your shoes the whole night.
When walking down the aisle, do not look at the guests. If you do happen to see someone, it is because they are cheering you on and it will make you smile.

My friend said carry a Kleenex, but I would advocate a small dosage of xanax.

Concentrate on the person walking you down the aisle, and use small talk to make it a light and pleasant experience. My son walked me, and I mentioned that the wedding planner was ADD. That made us both laugh.

Whatever you do, do not look at the bride as she walks down the aisle. You can see it later on video and enjoy the breakdown in your own living room. If I watch a bride walk down the aisle, I will completely burst into tears even if it is a total stranger. Don't Look!

When the bride and groom say their vows try to think of other distractions like the flowers or how long the whole service is taking. If you concentrate too much on the vows, it will result in a certain flood of tears.

Think about how tears will ruin your makeup. Not only will you look ugly, but you will look ridiculous with one fake eyelash hanging.

If you make it through the service, you still have to make it through several toasts, which usually tugs at the heart. This is like a battle prep. Prepare yourself for distractions.

As the toasts begin. think how nice the speaker looks or how well they are speaking. Most of the emotional details will be about the bride and groom.

Check on the status of the bride's mom. If she is not crying, it will give you confidence to postpone the emotion. The bride's mother said she had been waiting for this day for 3 years, so I assumed she would not be crying.

By the time they cut the cake, I am sorry to say that my beautiful Stuart Weitzman glitter heels had been killing me. I decided this would also be on video and skipped that activity.

The exit of the bride and groom is not too emotional. You may attend an after party. I noticed some of the guests were getting tipsy at the end.

My mother fell asleep in a chair at the Hotel after party. She appears to be asleep, but my son says that she is like a guard dog, and there is no chance she is missing anything. This makes me laugh, but I know it is true.

I laugh as my mom holds her head up and says, "I don't know who we are waiting for, but I don't think they are coming."

Don't drink during the wedding or the after party. A friend told me that at the end of the wedding she had a few drinks and argued with her sister over a shady relative.

Postponing crying may not be the best approach at your son's wedding, but it worked for me. There will be plenty of emotion the next few days and trying to avoid it temporarily is not a bad thing.

Use Jackie Kennedy as a role model and remember how stoic she remained during a funeral.

If you do break down in tears it is quite normal, and no one will disapprove.