Paper flowers for wedding

My newest hobby is weather-forecast watching.

This involves a daily perusal of what the meteorologists predict the conditions will be like in the upcoming two weeks.

I am certain that many of you can relate to this activity.

Think about an outdoor event that would benefit from good weather. If it is important enough to you, you might, like me, indulge in weather-forecast watching. I am looking for confirmation that my weather wish for no rain will come true.

The problem with weather forecasting is its unpredictability. There is rarely any guarantee, even on the day of the event. Just because the morning is gloriously sunny, doesn’t mean the afternoon will be.

I believe I am being given this situation, so I can practise what I preach. I am working hard to be mindful and not to worry about things I can’t change.

When I was in a thrift store recently looking for champagne glasses for my daughter's wedding reception, I overheard the last statement of a conversation. “They say you shouldn’t worry about the future, but that is easier said than done.”

Such wise words. Worrying about something you can’t do anything about is not a good use of your time, but it isn’t easy to let those thoughts go. This is especially true if you are a natural worrier, or if it is a behaviour you have been honing for years.

But just because it is hard doesn’t mean it isn’t worth the effort.

My desire for dry weather over the Thanksgiving weekend isn’t simply to improve the wedding ceremony and photographs. There are other reasons that I have my fingers crossed for dry weather.

Our daughter is a lover of books. She has been writing creatively since she was tiny, is a voracious reader, and works in a law library. In honour of her passion, I offered to make all flowers for the wedding out of book pages.

The bride and bridesmaid bouquets are beautiful, but I cringe to think what they might look like if they get caught in the rain. This goes for the flowers I have created to go in their hair, as well as the button holes and corsages.

As if that isn’t bad enough, the reception is also at risk if we get a deluge of rain.

The sunroom that was added to the back of our house just before we bought it, is the location of the sit-down dinner. Sadly the roof leaks. The table centre pieces are made from paper flowers, as are the decorations for the room.

I may not be able to see your faces, but I can imagine the look on them as you read the last paragraph. Why didn’t we get the roof fixed before deciding to hold an October wedding reception under it?

We had our house re-roofed a year ago and thought the problem had been addressed. It wasn’t until a recent prolonged downpour that the problem re-presented itself. A small amount of precipitation doesn’t seem to be problematic, but that can’t be said if it rains long and hard.

Although it is nice to have some sympathetic eyes to share my plight with, that isn’t why I disclosed my predicament.

There is a lot that I could be stressed about just now, but I am mindfully choosing not to go there.

I am trusting that whatever happens, we will find a way to make the occasion special.

That doesn’t mean I haven’t thought about plan Bs.

I will position family members in the section of the room that is most at risk. Thank you to all those people. You will find towels and buckets under your chairs.

I won’t set up and decorate the room until the day before, to minimize the risk of things getting damp. Even if the air is humid, the paper will be affected.

I meditate daily. This is an ancient practice that has been proven to make the biggest impact to mindful living. It helps me stay in the present and not worry about what might be.

I exercise daily. This is also proven to calm the mind and create a sense of peace.

My husband asked me a few days ago if I was regretting having offered to host the reception and to make the flowers out of book pages.

My immediate and honest answer was no.

It is a labour or love and a chance to peacefully create a special day for my daughter and her fiancé.

It wasn’t until that moment that I realized just how far I have come in my personal development.

You are not at the mercy of life, you are at the mercy of yourself. I choose to be kind to myself.

What will you choose?

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.