Celebrating new beginnings, desired situations, and making the best of a bad situation...........

I have another wedding to attend. This will be my third one within a four week span. The last wedding that I attended was small, but nice. There were some issues, but hopefully with the olive branch that the groom's sister extended in her toast of the couple, they will come together as family. I could also tell that the groom's best man was truly a good friend. His toast was so heartfelt and touching, that I could believe that the couple really had other friends in their corner besides the folks from our church who truly hoped that their marriage would be blessed and successful.

The son of an another cousin of my ex-husband is getting married today. Although I am close to the parents, I have not seen their son in years. He was a good natured kid as I can remember, and I think that I last saw him when his sister got married some years ago. She is now a mother of some rambunctious boys, and sometimes I think it was not too long ago that she was still a bit of a tom boy. I am attending it with my son and my ex, and I know the rest of the family will be wondering if we have reconciled. We are civil and friendly, but at this time I doubt we will ever get to that point of being man and wife again, but one never knows. Maybe when we are old and decrepit, we could come together to look out for each other during our senior years.

However, there are times when I do miss being married. I sometimes miss having someone around to laugh and joke with, along with helping with the duties around the house and helping out with the children. I also miss curling up with someone as we watch television programs or a movie. I just hope that when I do it again, the union will last, because I do not have the fortitude of Liz Taylor to do it over and over again.... I also hope that we have established a strong friendship beforehand, including a bond that includes a practicing faith in God with a mutual love and respectful for one another.

I have never personally knew anyone that has been jilted just before a wedding or left at the altar, but I do admire what this woman did in her circumstances.

Wedding Off, Jilted Bride Turns Party Into a Benefit -New York Times

By STEPHANIE STROM

Published: September 8, 2006

Six weeks before Kyle Paxman’s scheduled wedding, a stranger walked into her office with e-mail messages and other evidence that Ms. Paxman’s fiancé was cheating on her — with the stranger’s girlfriend.

Kyle Paxman won’t be saying ‘I do’ as planned, but heartbreak or not, the reception will go on , with a new focus: philanthropy.

“The dress had arrived, the flowers were done, the menus were chosen,” said Ms. Paxman, manager of two food and beverage outlets at La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad, Calif. “One hundred and eighty guests had tickets from all over the country and the Virgin Islands to come and make a weekend of my wedding.”

But rather than cancel the reception, planned for this Saturday in Vermont, Ms. Paxman, 29, has turned it into a charity benefit, at which strong women will be celebrated. “How do you turn something so awful around?” she said. “We needed to turn this into something positive and start the healing process.”........(Story continues here or here)

I do applaud Ms Paxman for taking the situation and turning it into something positive. I hope that she does find another fellow that is of a better character. I probably would have fell apart for a minute, then publically humiliated the guy and turned the reception into a party for my family and friends. I do hope that things turn out well and she is able to raise a substantial sum to donate to her designated charities.