I sat in the congregation recently, awaiting the bride’s entrance, when it struck me – somewhere I crossed a line. Without even knowing, I walked right over it and was on the other side. You know those lines in life, the ones you don’t really see coming. Like growing up or getting older, you rarely realize it is happening until you look back and realize, you’re there. You crossed right over it.
I sat, taking in the music, the flowers, the details, the beauty. I was reminded of my own wedding, 15 years ago this summer. The loveliest dress I’ve ever worn is now a bit outdated. Those bouquets of flowers I chose so specifically, ordered so carefully, are long dried and dead and not the style now anyway.
As I looked around the room I realized, with the gentle passing of time, I’ve somehow become nearer to the role of mother of the bride (or groom) than I am to my own day as a bride. A sobering thought to say the least.
I felt hot tears forming as the bride walked down the aisle, because yesterday, really yesterday, she was the age of my own little girls. As old as that makes me feel, reflecting in such a manner, I had watched that bride grow up with my very own eyes. It happens.
After that evening of celebration and beauty, my mind turned to my own girls for a bit. When you catch a glimpse of how fast this is all coming, how fast it really is going – what exactly are you to do when you know you can’t stop the train?
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I’m beginning to see that if we wait until our daughters are “old enough” to begin thinking through these things, to being preparing them for marriage, we may just have waited too long. These days, right now, they matter. Time really does fly and our years with our children are foundational. Let’s use them wisely.
Join me over at Mothers of Daughters today as I think through 3 ways we should begin preparing our daughters to be a someday bride.
Wow – just wow. Beautifully written. Bravo.
Thank you, Cindy. <3