Being there

Being there for your own wedding is the greatest gift to give yourself, your beloved, and your family and friends.

The best way to be there "then" is to be here "now". The practice of being present, of being still, of breathing and centering can be done repeatedly, consciously, in the days leading up to the BIG ONE so that when the pressure and excitement of the actual wedding day arrives, your body and soul remember the pattern of stillness and peace you have already set in motion.

There are no amounts of flowers, wedding attire or other accoutrements that can substitute for a couple who are present for their own wedding. Right before I walked down the aisle for my own outdoor wedding thirty years ago, my poor mother, who suffered from chronic depression, started talking to me about a friend who had died earlier that year. Death and loss was furthest from my mind, but here it was right before my wonderful moment before the ceremony. I had to let that go, forgive my mother, and focus on the present.

Your own distractions may be simpler, but they will be there, nonetheless. Take a deep breath and remind yourself, whatever the nagging thought or emotion, it's not personal. It's the wind of distraction and you can let it pass.