Do you remember the "The Twilight zone"?  It was a cult classic TV show that had "a strange mix of horror, science-fiction, drama, comedy and superstition. (Rod) Serling introduced each episode, and many of the black and white episodes concluded with a surprise ending." (Google)

It's been described as "... a place that exists at any moment of time, of space or of mind....but always when you least expect it. When you find yourself in this realm of unlimited possibility, be careful what you say or do. The right decisions may help you find your way back out....sometimes with greater happiness and wealth.  The wrong decisions often lead to madness and death, or an eternity trapped in this dimension.  Tread warily past the sign post ahead that says you've entered, The Twilight Zone. (Written by Bryan Ells)

If this sounds eerily  and uncomfortably familiar, it may be that you just experienced the 2020 Zone. 

A Virus Pandemic
Face Mask Mandates
Quarantines
Business Closures
School Closures
Antifa Protests
BLM Protests
Riots
Killer Hornets
Rampant Wildfires
Contentious Elections
           ... and we still have two more months to go!

To say this year has been extra-ordinary would be an understatement. There really are no words to describe it, and 2020 will most likely become its own adjective and noun reflecting an unpredictable negative connotations of any event or thing.

Has this year been a difficult one to navigate? An emotional and financial rollercoaster for most, we've been tested beyond our imaginations. If you've haven't experienced it, Congratulations! If you have, know that you are not alone, and are in a pool (swamp?) with the majority of Americans.  

I don't care to belabor the challenges of the year. For us, nearly all of our wedding bookings rescheduled. We are not alone, and our experience has been typical of vendors in the wedding industry and we found ourselves having to "bend like the willow". Instead I would prefer to consider the opportunities that the years events have exposed and highlighted. 

My personal take away from this year: 
Of course, it's much easier said than done, and really is a journey for me to change habits. But, even as exhausted as I am over this years labours, I <s>believe</s> know I am up for the challenge. I am always looking for the HOPE in any situation, and though I need to dig a little deeper after all of this, I still believe there are positive opportunities everywhere.

Now is the time to let the events of this past year motivate us to take better care of our bodies and minds.
Is it time to love who you are and take care of yourself? How about being mindful by actively seeing the world through grateful eyes and heart. We need to appreciate the little things that color our world and bring meaning to our lives. Let these experiences stretch us in new ways. Little changes can bring incremental benefits. 

It is not until something is taken away, do we realize its value in our lives. 
It is time to take stock in our priorities. Get rid of the negative fluff that takes up time and attention. Be willing to say no to those items that do not lift us up and in turn, helps us to lift others up.  Let's recognize what is truly important and place our priorities of time and energy there.

Looking back years from now, what will be said of 2020? Will you be able to say you beat the year, instead of letting the year beat you? Let's master the challenges and make lemonade out of lemons!  

What are your personal take aways? 

It's February and I'm done with winter. Not that we've really had much winter weather, but the relentless barrage of rain has been slow and torturous. So, I find myself rummaging through stuff, trying to clean and "get organized" (which is a never-ending battle.) 

As I "clean" I remember I needed to:

Update the address book ( finding returned Christmas cards I saved just so I could remember to update them.)

​Which leads me to clean out the junk drawer (after trying to find that mini size screwdriver to fix the glasses that got set aside for just this occasion.)

Which is when I find the old thumb-drive and remember I need to make room on my computer.

Which has got me running software to clean out the junk files.

Which takes me to the bulging photo file with all the duplicate photos.

​Which has me spending hours going through decades of hairs styles, fashion statements, career choices, friends, missed loved ones, and car obsessions. If one really wants to measure time, go through your old photos. Find the gems, Relish in the memories. And feel free to laugh out loud.

Chances are, you have several groups of friends, all different yet valued, each special for a variety of reasons. Some are old friends, the ones that have been around through the different "lives" that you have lived.

There are the one's you knew as a youngster. The you that was a silly kid, did stupid stuff. That's the friend you don't have to work too hard to please 'cause they'll always remember the sweet, young you.

Then there's the teenage/young adult friendships. The ones that have run the gauntlet with you and been through those awkward teen years, braces, pimples, strange not-so-cool haircuts and clothes that you wrote off as "uniquely" you. The ones that you share secrets with. That you stretched the limits with and walked that line. Those are the faithful "blood-brothers" kind of friends. They are precious and few. 

As a young adult, you grew up. Your friends became more sophisticated. (So you thought.) They drove nicer cars, dressed better, drank cooler stuff. They were better looking, seemed much more "together", and you thought you had arrived. You have to work harder at finding time to hang out - work and "stuff" take more of your time, but you make a point of staying together. 

Until you found "the one". That special someone, the one that you leave all the rest behind for. And they notice. You don't come around very much. You act different when you do. You glow. You talk in "we's" instead of "I's". You act more mature, then act like a bubbling baby. (Go figure.) 

Life cycles through, yet somehow you didn't realize that you had a need, one that is suddenly completed by a someone. That person, that special someone, the one that you think of all the time. The one that makes you smile just to think of.  Life before them seems unimportant, and you can't even imagine life without them. They're the one you are excited to introduce to your friends. You know, those people that have seen you through every stage of life. The one's that make fun of you and the silly stupid things you have done together. The one's that will be oh-so-eager to share those memories with your new special someone. (!!!) 

Weddings don't just celebrate two people finding each other and making a public commitment to stick it out through all life's daily challenges. It's a time when friends come together, because in all their diversity, they are, at their core, the same. They all are pieces of gold that are precious, that share in your happiness, support you in life's milestones, and will hold a special place in welcoming in the new "two instead of one". 

Think about how diverse your friends are. Some are vanilla, some are cherry or cookies n' cream, some are lemon, and some are the whole damn ice cream sundae. :-) All special, all sweet and all have a place in your life.

So when you are celebrating the special day that makes up your wedding day, don't forget to celebrate the people that have brought you to that point. For we are a culmination of our frame of references, the people, places and experiences that make up the sum of our parts,