An Unexpected Guest at the Wedding
My niece will be getting married in a few weeks and it has me remembering her mother's wedding many years ago.
It was an outdoor wedding and everything was going splendid. My flight had arrived on time the day before, so I was able to help with the preparations, the weather was beautiful and everyone was happy.
On the day of the wedding, my sister looked absolutely gorgeous as she began her short walk down our makeshift isle on the lawn to the spot where she and her groom were to be wed. My daughter was the flower girl and she was so excited, she stepped on Lori's train a few times before everyone got in their place, but Lori took it in good stride.
All was going well and then in the middle of the ceremony, during a solemn moment when they were stating their vows, suddenly we heard snickering from some of the guests. Nothing funny had been said, so we couldn't imagine why they were laughing.
Then we saw it. Miss Henny Penny chicken was strutting her stuff down the isle to join the wedding party. We couldn't help but burst out laughing too.
Maybe it didn't all go according to plan, and maybe there was a bit of chaos here and there that day and during the reception that followed, but it was still a beautiful wedding and a memorable one at that.
The reason I share this story is that it is rare that everything goes according to plan. I know my life certainly hasn't. I know many people have been feeling the stress of not knowing what is going to happen next–at work, with finances, with politics, in the world and so much more. The truth is, we just don't know what's going to happen next.
Learning to embrace the uncertainty of life is an exercise of personal growth. If you find yourself struggling with this a bit, I hope one or more of the following strategies will help. These are some of the ways that I cope when I'm feeling uncertain about the future.
🌸 Fear of what might happen is future focused, so I try to more firmly root my attention on what is happening right now in the present. I literally shift my attention from the future to something in the present moment–something I'm doing, something I can see where I am etc.
🌸 I choose to feel gratitude for what I have right now at this moment and think about all the ways I have more than enough, am safe and okay.
🌸 I look for new possibilities that I may not have thought of before. Far too often it is easy to think there is only one way something can happen, but in reality, most of the time there are multiple paths to different outcomes.
🌸 I remind myself that there were many times in my life where I wasn't sure what was going to happen next and sometimes what did happen was really hard. Yet I grew and I became wiser and stronger as a result.
🌸 I take comfort in the everyday routines that I do day after day. Routine brings a sense of security, even when things don't feel secure.
🌸 I focus on my current plan. Yes, the plan may have to change, but I can't change the plan until I have the information needed to do so. So I refocus on what I do know and try to do my best at what I am doing now.
I hope that if you have been feeling a bit unsettled lately, you will find one or more of these suggestions helpful to you as well. You are stronger than you believe my friend. ❤️ Julie
"I trust the journey, even in uncertainty."
What We Loved This Week
This art from Monique Pepels-Harris
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