No… but I do remember the 12th day of September, 2015. One of the happiest days of my life, when my beautiful daughter said “I do” to my now son-in-law. And here they are today, celebrating their 3rd wedding anniversary. You cannot ask for more for your child than a life with a wonderful person they love, who cherishes them, and who fits right into your family. We are so blessed to join families with my son-in-law’s. Remember how his grandpa has helped me get my Christmas tree these last 2 years (impossible task for a SOLO gal)? Plus we get to enjoy sweet baby Lily!
“Marriage is about becoming a team. You’re going to spend the rest of your life learning about each other, and every now and then, things blow up. But the beauty of marriage is that if you picked the right person and you both love each other, you’ll always figure out a way to get through it.” ― Nicholas Sparks
Their wedding was everything they hoped it would be. (ME TOO!) The venue was beautiful, the wedding party was wonderful, the ceremony was touching, all of our family and friends were there, and the reception was FUN, which is what they wanted. We could not have asked for anything more. Happy anniversary to this beautiful couple!
This time last year, my kids and I were in NYC enjoying a couple of days in the city before attending the wedding of our neighbor who my kids grew up with. This beautiful couple is celebrating their first anniversary this weekend. What a fun trip and wonderful wedding that was! I was so thankful to be able to spend that time and share the experience with my kids and my friends. Happy anniversary to this beautiful couple too!
“A great relationship doesn’t happen because of the love you had in the beginning but how well you continue building love until the end.”
Looking back on last year’s blog, this date included lots of marriage advice. I know… marriage advice from a SOLO girl? Yes. Believe me, I have learned A LOT! So this year I will give only one piece of advice, especially to these young couples who have been in the honeymoon stage and are now moving to the real world of marriage. Marriage is not all sunshine, but if you realize this and work together, you can weather the storms that will rise up in your marriage. And trust me, there will be storms. I wish someone had told me long ago that marriage is not perfect. I lived in a fairy tale world where I thought life was perfect, including marriage. Little did I know what storms were ahead for me.
“No relationship is all sunshine, but two people can share one umbrella and survive the storm together.”
Speaking of storms, I headed to my happy place last Friday for a glorious week, until it was interrupted by another woman (imagine that!). A real B&$#H named Florence. The weather at the beach was perfect – sunny and beautiful every day. I caught up on lost sleep by sleeping in and sleeping on the beach in between reading (read 2 books) and looking for shells. But there was a lot of concern as Hurricane Florence was getting her name in the news, constantly. There is still a bit of uncertainty where Flo will land as she has not totally decided yet which Carolina coast to invade. No matter which coast, we will all be affected by this hurricane. She’s a BIG ‘UN (as my Dad would say). I was going to leave Tuesday night until the Beach Popo told me if I waited it could take me 3 hours just to get out of the beach area, normally a 25 minute drive. The heck with that! I readied my house Monday night, said goodbye to it and the beach Tuesday morning before sunrise, and hit the road home. Wanted to beat the traffic before the mandatory evacuation went into effect.
“Not all storms come to disrupt your life. Some come to clear your path.”
It was truly hard to believe this hurricane was coming when it was so beautiful at the beach. The calm before the storm. September is my favorite time of the year at the beach because the temperature and humidity are lower, the crowds are gone, beaches are uncluttered, traffic is lighter, and there is no waiting for a table at dinner. Got down Friday in time to meet my sister and her husband for dinner at a little restaurant/bar we have been wanting to try. Had lots of CAROLINA signs, just the wrong color – RED (SC)! But the food and atmosphere were great! And Saturday we went to Franks – again, no wait for a great table.
While I was really looking forward to this week at the beach, I feel worse for the people who were down there on vacation and had to evacuate. I also have friends on the coast of NC who are concerned as well. And as if that is not enough, my home towns of Charlottesville and Winston-Salem are in the path of Flo’s torrential rain. Carolina’s first home football game has even been cancelled, which might be in their favor this year (one less loss)! And at least I had 3 glorious days at the beach, and I know I’ll be back soon, as long as my house is still standing!
“Without rain nothing grows, learn to embrace the storms in your life.”
Honestly, this storm’s breadth surprised me. Storms in our lives are like that too. How do you prepare for something you don’t know is going to happen? And even with some warning, how do you prepare? You deal with it, accept it, get your chin up, stay strong, and move on. Life is good – remember that. The forecast for the days after the hurricane (Saturday/Sunday) looks beautiful. Proof that the sun will shine again, no matter how bad things are. No storm lasts forever.
“If you want the rainbow, you’ve got to put up with the rain.” -Dolly Parton
If you haven’t heard, the upcoming hurricanes will be named “Leslie” and “Michael”. Though it looks like we might, I am hoping we don’t get to our family names, and I hope they do NOT invade my happy place! How embarrassing that would be!
Please say a prayer for all those in the path of Hurricane Florence. And remember that you are strong enough to weather any storms that come into your life. Don’t let the storms ruin your happiness, because as we all know, none of us is promised tomorrow.
Best,
Leslie
PS – What I learned this week – I always thought that the reason wedding rings are worn on the left fourth finger is because that finger has a “vein of love” that runs from the finger directly to the heart. I learned this week that this is a MYTH, a legend. Bummer. I loved that idea! (Even if I am NOT wearing any rings on that finger!) The legend dates back to the Romans, who did not really understand biology! All fingers have veins that connect to the heart in a roundabout way.
SOLO at SIXTY 
What an encouraging blog once again. I too want to let you all know I’m praying for all in storms way. Just remember GOD IS GOOD and he will see us through the storm. Keep the faith and keep your eyes on Jesus instead of focusing on the storm.
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Love this one Leslie! So much positivity. I’m glad that you had time at your happy place. I am praying for your beach house and all in the path of Florence!
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RED AIN’T SUCH A BAD COLOR—(woof, woof)
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Oh Ed you crack me up!!!
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