Our courtship was anything but ordinary, what with my five children being our constant chaperones and our “dates” almost always consisting of doing something as a family, but I did at least get to have a normal bridal shower, almost.
I had a number of good friends in my ward, people I had served with in Relief Society and Young Womens, as well as wonderful neighbors and family. Once they found out I was getting married they insisted on giving me a shower. The problem was, I felt guilty about them buying me presents for my kitchen or bathroom, when they needed new things for their homes just as much as I did.
“How about instead of everyone bringing me presents, we have a gift exchange?” I suggested. “We could all buy something we would like, then exchange it with each other, and everyone will go home with something new for their house.”
It took awhile to convince my friends who were hosting the shower that this would be a good idea, but eventually they gave in and the shower was planned for the Saturday before Thanksgiving.
“Have you decided when you're going to get married?” my next door neighbor asked as soon as she sat down next to me on the living room couch at the shower.
“Well, you're not going to believe this, but Moe and I have decided to get married next week,” I told her.
“Next week?” she gasped, and the rest of the ladies in the room turned their heads to see what we were talking about.
“Yes,” I answered sheepishly. “I know that's quick notice, but we decided it would be good timing, since my kid's dad was planning on taking them for Thanksgiving anyway. That will give Moe and me time to have a honeymoon.”
“Yes, but what about a wedding reception and announcements and everything?” they all asked.
“We thought we'd just have a small wedding at the Temple with just our family, and then we'll have an open house in a couple of weeks, when we've had time to plan something,” I explained.
“We want to help,” everyone at the shower offered. Putting on wedding receptions was one of their favorite activities.
“Thank you,” I told them gratefully. “Once we decide when I'll let you know.”
Each of the guests brought a simple household item to exchange, and I was happy to see them leaving with something for themselves when the party was over, but many of them also brought a special something just for me, and I was overwhelmed. In the four years we had known each other, they had become some of my dearest friends, and their love and kindness meant more to me than I could ever express.
“Thank you,” I told my friends when the shower was over. “This was so much fun, and it made me feel like I was really getting married.” And amazingly, it did. Even though I was thirty-six years old, even though three of the guests were my own daughters and many of the others were their friends, young women from our ward whom I had presided over as Young Women President, even though I wasn't planning a big wedding reception or going to have a wedding gown, even though my mother was far away serving a mission in Germany and she hadn't even met Moe yet, for those brief few hours on that Saturday afternoon I really did feel like a bride, and it was really nice.
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