In my head I keep thinking of them as my “Lemonade Brides”, from the “when life hands you lemons” quote. There’s a lot to surrender this year. A lot on the altar. A lot to grieve. And yet – here I am… I’m safe. If you’re reading this, presumably you are too. We all had some fear and loss to process this year. But I’ve been watching for the silver linings as well. I hadn’t known a family of six (Zac and I have four children) could live on so little until the pandemic, so we used the quarantine reset time to change all of our spending habits, and now that the world is opening back up, we’ve created healthier habits that will move us forward in life. I’m grateful for those silver linings.
Sholeigh and Chris had been planning to be married on June 20, 2020 which is absolutely a super-cool date! I can’t even tell you how many inquiries came in for that one! But – covid. You all know. We shut down. The world stopped turning for a bit, and they decided the safest, kindest, most responsible plan was to postpone.
2021 it is.
And that’s sad.
What’s NOT sad was Sholeigh and Chris’s fun idea of going to the beach the week they would’ve been married for a photoshoot and a ring blessing! It wasn’t the main event, but it was a moment where the loss could be acknowledged, the feelings felt, prayers for the future said, and they could give their rings to one another as a promise for next year.
Next year. I stand with you for next year. I’ll join you in prayers for the future. I’ll celebrate your love today, and absolutely affirm your choice to stay focused on the sparkle of the silver lining.
