Well, I HAVE been the bride (which some women want but never get to be)(and I've been a bridesmaid, once, for SIL). But I will never be the mother of the bride. :( (Or the groom, for that matter.)
I will soon, however, be the (very proud) aunt & godmother of the groom -- and while that's certainly not the same thing, it IS pretty damned exciting, on its own merits. :)
I spent several hours over the weekend, helping the mothers of the bride & the groom (my SIL) put together centrepieces, raffle and game prizes, party favours, etc., for Oldest Nephew's Fiancee's upcoming bridal shower. Were there some painful moments? Yes. I sat silently, stuffing candy into tiny boxes and tying & curling ribbons while the (deservedly) proud & excited mothers talked about their children, compared parenting notes and swapped old war stories. As usual, I seemed to be the only adult woman there (excluding the bride) who wasn't a mother. (Of a living child, anyway.)
But it was also fun. And it was nice to be asked, to be included, to feel like I was even a small part of things. I will never get to do this for my own daughter --- this is as close to the mother of the bride (or groom) experience as I'm ever going to get. (At least until Younger Nephew's wedding, a couple of years from now...!) And I'm determined to savour every minute of it.
You can find more of this week's #MicroblogMondays posts here.
What bittersweet moments. I'm glad that you are being included and enjoying those sweet moments. Godmother is a special role and I hope there are moments of honor for you. But I'm thinking of you as you prepare and holding you when the sad moments come.
ReplyDeleteI am glad for the exciting moments in being an honored part of this wedding...and sad for the loss of being a mother of the bride or groom and having that outside-looking-in feeling with all the conversations from the other ladies. I'm glad you were included and it was a mostly good experience!
ReplyDeleteThat must have been a bittersweet experience. I think it speaks to how special you are to your nephew (and his future wife). I hope you enjoy every moment of your "godmother of the groom" experience!
ReplyDeleteAlso sending hugs for the hard parts that will inevitably come!
Savoring.
ReplyDeletePleased to read you were included and pleased that you were able to drink in those moments. Congratulations to your nephew. Congratulations to the families.
You're right. Even when it's hard, it's nice to be included. And we should focus on what is, rather than what isn't. So I love, love, love that you said you're savouring it. Still, sending a big hug for the tough moments.
ReplyDeleteAw props to you for stuffing boxes with those mothers and sitting through their chat...it's bittersweet and not the same, but I'm hoping my niece sees me as someone special like this; I only have the one.
ReplyDeleteWhat a mixed bag of emotions. So much to be happy about, future-looking, and so much sadness when looking at what's been lost. Big big hugs to you, LB.
ReplyDeleteHugs during this happy-sad time.
ReplyDeletenow you got me wondering how my mother feels about me not getting married...
ReplyDeleteIt is bittersweet, but I'm glad you're also finding those moments to enjoy in the experience. It is super exciting.
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