Late to the Wedding: A Story About Surrendering Control
A few weeks ago, I Marie Kondo’d my closet, and felt high-on-life making space for something new.
In the process, I found a few winter jackets missing buttons and needing love. Perfect, I thought, “I’ll drop them off for alterations with our wedding outfits. Two birds, one stone. I am on a roll”
What I didn’t realize was that the sweet little old seamstress at the dry cleaners would take a few days off during that surprise heatwave last week (I don’t blame her) causing a chain reaction of delays.
And apparently, they don’t separate alterations from dry cleaning. Meaning: no dress, no suit, no freshly buttoned parka. None of it would be ready…
By the time Friday rolled around, the day before the wedding, I showed up ready to knock another thing off my to-do list. Only to be met with a “not ready” and a nervous smile.
I started spinning. “But the ticket says Tuesday. I have a wedding, TOMORROW.”
The poor woman at the desk stressed and sympathetic, assured me it would be ready on time, “Come back at 3:30 on Saturday. It’ll be here.”
3:30 Saturday arrives. I call. “Not yet.”
By 4:30 I’m standing in the dry cleaners, anxiety and anticipation pooling on the linoleum floor, trying my best not to sweat through my full face of makeup. The woman at the counter is just as nervous as I am.
And then, at 5:05, another woman rushes in with our suit, dress, and my newly restored coats.
Sean and I sprint home. Change in record time. Uber to Brooklyn.
Arrive at 6:30pm.
Just in time to miss the ceremony.
Shirley and Jordan are glowing, freshly married, drinking wine by the bar.
I swallow my disappointment with a signature cocktail and decide: I’m not going to let this ruin anything. I’ll watch the vows on the wedding video a month from now. I listen to a recap of the ceremony and choose to be happy that I even got to be part of it at all.
Because the truth is… sometimes even when you think you’re prepared, you’ve planned, double-checked, and given yourself more than enough time, life still finds a way to teach you grace.
We had a delicious dinner, and danced the night away. I cried at the speeches and marveled at every detail of a wedding done just right.
And I guess, for me, that had to be good enough.
Because sometimes, even if you miss the main course, there’s still time for dessert.
I hope this week you can find a silver lining, even when the worst-case-scenario comes true.
In times like these, I think that’s all we can do.
I love you,
Lindsay
P.S. Here’s a picture of us in our freshly cleaned ‘fits with the bride, groom, and the rest of the Rutger’s crew! 👇
We made it after all!