The Inevitable

Three days before leaving town for my sisters wedding I turned to my husband and said, "My biggest fear about this wedding is someone is going to get sick." No sooner had the words slipped off my tongue when my youngest daughter came down with a cold. Was this inevitable or did I really cause the illness with my negative energy. Looking back, it could have been a number of events that caused the illness. Was it the Children's Museum, daycare or perhaps swimming at the Y when the temperate was a frigid 14 degrees outside? Most likely it was a mix of all of the above and it was all irreversible.

A cold is mild compared to what my older daughter endured, the dreaded stomach virus! Her timing couldn't have been any more perfect. The second we hit our destination, after a two hour car ride, she vomited all over herself. We assumed this was an isolated incident but we quickly discovered we were wrong. At two in the morning we awoken to a crying child who could not stop herself from getting sick. Somehow her sister, who was lying right besides her on their air mattress, did not even flinch at the commotion. The next day went physically well; however, emotionally our oldest was moody. She would not rehearse for the wedding, she only wanted mommy and she was very short tempered. That night she did sleep well which was our saving grace for the wedding!

The day of the wedding started well. Everyone had their hair done at a local salon and small breakfasts were enjoyed, but moods escalated. My younger daughter was running in and out of my legs with her beautifully made up hair, she broke the single white rose she had to carry and she was trying to rip off her gorgeous red flower girl gown. Both girls only wanted mommy and to be held while all the commotion of getting dressed, applying make-up and having our pictures taken was in full swing. The girls needed to be escorted to the car kicking and screaming in order to reach the wedding ceremony in time. Yet, miracles do cease. After a power nap of 20 minutes the girls walked down the aisle perfectly, hand in hand, like angels in flight.

They did very well during the ceremony and for pictures but it was afterwards that there was illness related issues. My oldest daughter finished the last bite of her peanut butter and jelly sandwich when it suddenly reappeared on her red gown. Luckily my mother-in-law was able to wash it and no one knew. After short naps the girls arrived fashionably late to the reception and had a fabulous time. My husband and I were so glad that we made it through the evening without another illness related attack. The last song of the evening was announced, appropriately it was "The Last Dance", and just as my daughter was getting ready to go home she got sick all over my husband. Only one other guest, who should have been dancing, noticed the event so we were very fortunate, as were the other guests. After we finished cleaning her up she asked, "can I still go dance?"

The day was wonderful but I have learned my lesson to never verbalize my fears until the event is over. Even though my daughters were tired and ill, they made me so proud. They performed beautifully, they looked adorable and they were the life of the party. When life gives you illness, shake it up, get it out and dance it off!