| Being Present is the Best Gift of All |
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Being Present is the Best Gift of All By Anne Marshall of "That Should be on a Pillow." In this world of texting, Twitter, Facebook, “Crackberries,” and the need to constantly be in touch, it seems almost impossible to clear your mind. But picture this scenario: It is the morning of your wedding day. You are waking up feeling fairly rested but mostly excited about what will unfold in the hours to come. You look over at your cell phone and it is already blinking with new messages, or buzzing or ringing. Panic sets in as you think of all the things that could be going wrong at this very moment, all of the details that need your attention. What will you do? You can approach this in two ways… immediately get on the phone and start texting frantically, or, ignore it completely. Did I just say IGNORE it?? Yes, I did. This comes from my own experience—I’m in my wedding dress, after the ceremony has ended, standing in the kitchen of the reception location, talking to the chef about the fact that the honeydew melon I had specified came in rotten and they had to switch to cantaloupe…thus ruining my color pallet of pale green and white for the wedding breakfast. A wedding planner would have been a good person to have at that moment, but we couldn’t afford one. So there I was ON MY WEDDING DAY discussing rotten melon. Whenever I get into a situation I can’t change, I quietly say the word: “cantaloupe.” There will be many situations that arise on your wedding day that you simply can’t fore- see, can’t anticipate and can’t change. So what? It will still be a beautiful day, a memorable event and the beginning of the rest of your life. And there is not one guest in the crowd who will know about a mishap or mistake. The best thing you can do on that day is to leave your Type A personality behind. Leave everything to everyone else around you, decisions will be made that you won’t make. So what? If you agree to put that day in the hands of those you trust to make decisions you would probably make, the day will not speed by in a blur but rather will unfold as glorious moments of grace. The best gift you can give yourself on that most special of days is to be present for yourself. Build some quiet moments into the schedule, preferably before the world wakes up, to reflect on this day—a day you may have thought about your whole life. Be alone before the hair and makeup and getting ready and photos and hugs and kisses and the sheer madness of people surrounds you. Promise yourself you will notice moments not captured by the camera: The smell of the flowers, the music, the taste of the wedding cake and the bubbles in the champagne flute, your mother’s perfume, a line from a poem being read during the ceremony, your fiancé’s eyes. This day is not a day to “get through.” It is not about the stunning photo album you’ll receive in a few weeks or the hundreds of thank you notes you’ll be writing. This day is about this day, and being present for the memories you are creating—memories that will play over and over again in your mind for years to come. It’s your choice to make those memories moments of grace.
Anne Marshall is the founder & chief designer for "Thatshouldbeonapillow!" launched last fall. Her Boalsburg based company custom designs decorative pillows featuring embroidered sayings: favorite family mottos, key dates, wisdom and whimsy... all of the special words we cherish. When words from the heart are the best gift of all...that should be on a pillow! www.thatshouldbeonapillow.com - custom pillows
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