Saturday, November 6, 2010

Set and Celebrate Milestones

So if you ask when I was married I will have to pull my wedding band off my finger to check the inscription.  How old is my baby - ahhhhhhhhh I think 6 months.... So on the surface of it I do not place much importance in milestones - very rarely do I acknowledge an anniversary  - I'm pretty relaxed about this kind of stuff.

However,  I do love a celebration and being Dutch birthdays are of particular importance even if I have to tattoo my children's birth date to my forehead.  However the day is is celebration - a party is planned and a big deal is made of all those in the family and the Birthday person.

What of other milestone's our wedding is a biggy cause we married after the first two children were born - so why marry.  Mainly because we were leaving the Netherlands 5 days later and wanted it as a farewell and affirmation of the love we had there.  I had lost the initial desire to marry - Graham was always reluctant - and I thank him for this - had we married when we first met I would have been a total princess bridzilla and let me tell you  9 month post partum bodies of traumatic pregnancies do not allow you to float down an aisle in a chiffon number from some French designer - instead I had to harness myself into a dress with a crow bar.

Also finances meant that no over the top expenditure could be spent - It resulted in one of the most delightful days of my life surrounded by friends and family. The love was fantastic, there were tears from everyone (cause we were leaving) but so much laughter to make it better.  There was fine wine great food and most importantly wonderful people.

The day was not with out problems - My dear friend Rixt had organised a photographer - whom unfortunately had gotten sick - she then very diligently organised a replacement.  The replacement 10min before arriving at our house stormed out for reasons unknown to any of us - all very weird.  However this caused my lovely friend great anguish - as I was getting ready - my other friend Sarah whose children were our flower girls - approached "Ingrid I have something to tell you and you will not like it" - she tells me the story - finishing with Rixt is sobbing in that car.  I promise hand on heart all thoughts of having no photographer left immediately - Sarah you tell Rixt to dry her eyes it is more important for me to have her at my wedding happy and ready to celebrate. 

I really did not care - and thanks to digital cameras we had loads photo's - but more importantly I did not lose sight of the importance of celebrating a milestone.

So, I suppose what I am trying say often we dismiss the importance of celebrating milestones, but you know what I think having the people you love bear witness to moments in your life makes us happy.

1 comment:

  1. What an amazing woman you are!
    I can imagine many brides being in your situation and totally crumbling, but for you I know it was more important to celebrate the event and your best memories of this milestone will always be in your mind.

    Big hug to you my friend,

    Felicity x

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