Battling the Unexepected

I sat down last night to write about a totally different subject, but instead of writing I ended up yelling at my computer and its incompetence at connecting me with the internet.  After a call to our cable company, we found out that  an internet cable had been severed and most of the area around us would be without service until it was fixed.  So as I laid in bed fuming, I started thinking about the unexpected and how it not only affects our daily lives but also the events we plan.

     How many times has the unexpected happened either while setting up for a party or during the party itself?  For someone who's a perfectionist, like me, it's something that I stress about quite often.  I make millions of lists trying to combat the unexpected.  Maybe, if I plan for every possible outcome, I won't be caught off guard.  However, my lists are feeble against the unexpected and sometimes things just happen.  For example, my son spilled milk all over his birthday shirt that he was supposed to wear at his party, or I planned for water activities for the kids outdoors and it's all of a sudden 50 degrees in the middle of May.  The unexpected happens. That's life.  Although it's incredibly hard for me to accept, I just have to tell myself to roll with it.

      At my wedding, the flowers were not the ones requested, the video of the ceremony didn't record, and my photographer accidentally stepped on the train of my dress jerking me backwards (thankfully the dress stayed on or it would have made for a much more interesting wedding). Despite all the craziness, I was so thrilled to be marrying the love of my life that I didn't care about any of that.   All that mattered was that we were getting married and celebrating with the people closest to our hearts.

      When the unexpected strikes, I look back to my wedding and try to remember that the most important part of the party I'm hosting is the fellowship with close friends and family.  Yes, it would have been nice for my son to wear his matching birthday shirt or for the kids to splash around in the water, but the only person who knew what was supposed to happen and didn't was me.  Our guest didn't have a clue that things didn't happen the way I planned it  in my head.  Did my son have a great time?  Yes!  Did the kids mind blowing bubbles instead of splashing in the pool?  No!  The most important part of any event are the people we share them with and the memories we make.

     So next time the unexpected strikes, take a deep breath and try to remember what's important (in my case I have to count to 10.  Sometimes 20).  Maybe there's a great alternative that you never would have thought of otherwise.  At the end of the party, the unexpected issues don't matter.  It's the people closest to your hearts.