Love is just a dream
I've mentioned before that working in a bridal boutique was a challenge for me as a new widow. I'm not so new at this anymore, but I still find myself working there a bit strange. Don't get me wrong. It's a good company, and the people I work with are truly dedicated to helping brides have the wedding of their dreams. I've rarely seen a team of people put forth such consistent, dedicated effort to serving their customers well.
It's just that I see more than ever that with every wedding comes many dreams. Some are of romance, passion and a life long adventure. Others want to open the door to a warm and comforting domesticity blanketing a dear friendship. Some crave a day of beauty and admiration. Some of these dreams are beautiful and inspire me. Others, frankly, remind me that underneath my professionally charming exterior, I'm really a cranky, old broad. Every one of these dreams though has love at its core.
See, I have both dreams and memories of love and romance. I cherish them, but the bottom line for me is that I prefer the reality of love to sweet, young dreams. Love doesn't just lift me up to soaring heights. It exhausts me with hard work and opens my heart to a sadness whose depth is only possible because of how much I've loved. It drains me with demands I am thrilled to meet and then refreshes and renews me. I am blessed. I can look at my life and know that I've been loved and loved in return.
It's enabled me to set a high standard for love, yet my job is, in part, marketing the dream. So when I see a vivid example of love's reality at work, it truly moves me. I've worked with a bride who fell in love with a certain dress that was beyond her budget. I'm rarely moved anymore by women in wedding gowns, but she seemed transformed in that beautiful dress. She decided that a much smaller wedding was a better choice. It was prudent, but the dream of that dress made a big impact on her and her fiancé.
For months now, he has been coming in and making small weekly payments towards a layaway. His bride to be has no idea that on her wedding day she will be the vision in her dream. He was out of work for awhile and kept up the payments. He's made a real effort because her happiness is important to him.
A wedding is just one event on one day in a lifetime. All those other days eventually matter much, much more, but I have the feeling this wedding will be one of those special ones that showcase what those other days are about.
It's just that I see more than ever that with every wedding comes many dreams. Some are of romance, passion and a life long adventure. Others want to open the door to a warm and comforting domesticity blanketing a dear friendship. Some crave a day of beauty and admiration. Some of these dreams are beautiful and inspire me. Others, frankly, remind me that underneath my professionally charming exterior, I'm really a cranky, old broad. Every one of these dreams though has love at its core.
See, I have both dreams and memories of love and romance. I cherish them, but the bottom line for me is that I prefer the reality of love to sweet, young dreams. Love doesn't just lift me up to soaring heights. It exhausts me with hard work and opens my heart to a sadness whose depth is only possible because of how much I've loved. It drains me with demands I am thrilled to meet and then refreshes and renews me. I am blessed. I can look at my life and know that I've been loved and loved in return.
It's enabled me to set a high standard for love, yet my job is, in part, marketing the dream. So when I see a vivid example of love's reality at work, it truly moves me. I've worked with a bride who fell in love with a certain dress that was beyond her budget. I'm rarely moved anymore by women in wedding gowns, but she seemed transformed in that beautiful dress. She decided that a much smaller wedding was a better choice. It was prudent, but the dream of that dress made a big impact on her and her fiancé.
For months now, he has been coming in and making small weekly payments towards a layaway. His bride to be has no idea that on her wedding day she will be the vision in her dream. He was out of work for awhile and kept up the payments. He's made a real effort because her happiness is important to him.
A wedding is just one event on one day in a lifetime. All those other days eventually matter much, much more, but I have the feeling this wedding will be one of those special ones that showcase what those other days are about.
posted by Cynthia at
8:18 PM
2 Comments:
Sweet!
That's a beautiful story, one that shines a bright light on what was missing for me.
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