Saturday, April 23, 2005

For Valerie and Craig

   My wife's friend is getting married today. I bet she is a little bit upset by the fact that it is raining hard with no signs of letting up for the entire weekend. I am sure her mother and all her bridesmaids are all huddled around her, reassuring her that it is good luck for it to rain on your wedding day. For her I have this message:

   Bullshit! It is not good luck for it to rain on your wedding day. They just tell you that to try and stop you from bawling your eyes out all weekend. On the other hand, it is not bad luck for it to rain on your wedding day. It is just rain, after all, and you are getting married today. 
   Nobody else is having as good a day as you are, today. The gardeners are not really unhappy, because the plants need the rain. They would prefer to be out in the garden, though. Instead, they are sitting inside playing tic tac toe, or doing a crossword, or something. And you are getting married today.
   The dog owners are actually quite unhappy. Rain or shine, if they do not take the dog out for a walk, he will be chewing on the sofa by dinner time. If they happen to be going to somebody's wedding tonight, they have to take the dog out for an extra long walk, because he will be alone for five or six hours later. So, they are wet, and cold, and uncomfortable. And the dog is wet, and that means he smells like the skunk he got sprayed by last fall, because that never really goes away, you know. And you are getting married today.
   The golfers are downright miserable. Later in the season, they would be golfing rain or shine. In April, the courses are still too wet, and they close when they get heavy rain. So the golfers are all stuck at home, where their wives are telling them that the basement needs cleaning out, or the garage floor needs repainting. And you are getting married today.
   There are quite few people working today. Think of the garbage men, and the road workers. They are standing out in it, cold water running in rivulets down their faces and under their collars; into their gloves and boots. And you are getting married today.
   So, Valerie, I say to you, let it rain. Let it pour. You and Craig are still having a better day than anyone else you know. You are having the best day of your life. You are getting married today.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

It really is supposed to be good luck to rain on your wedding day.  It rained on ours and the day turned out wonderful!  I didn't boo hoo on the rain.  Good luck to your friends.

Anonymous said...

Actually one of those times when I agree with you, omens are mostly nonsesnse (except that one about red sky at...it happens to be a reasonably good predictor, but then it was based on years of sailors sailing into the unknown).  Your take on the way to look at it is right on, too, much as it might pain a lesser person to admit, because HOW we look at things determines in large part how they turn out.  Whether the glass is half full or half empty doesn't matter as much as how we see it, and therein lies the source of our troubles and the solutions to them.  A very good entry, I hope the bride reads it and hears the message.  Bruce

Anonymous said...

Excellent entry Paul and I agree with you about the rain being good luck or bad luck. It's total hogwash and nothing more than a silly superstition. Just like whoever catches the bouquet is next to get hitched...NOT!

Lahoma

Anonymous said...

Congrats Valerie & Craig, rain or shine, you'll still have a blast!

<3 rachel

Anonymous said...

Very good prose, and a very good point.  My wedding was marked not by rain, but by keys getting locked in someone's car, and the van's transmission *not* being fixed after all.  Just adds narrative interest to the day. - Karen

Anonymous said...

getting married is the best day of someones life, i hope! neither rain nor snow will stop me if i do get married and congrats to the newlyweds..with each rain drop i saw to day i thought of good things me and my brother did together and if i was getting married on a rainy day i would do the same about my husband which will only make me luv him more~cherry

Anonymous said...

It rained on three of my wedding days... hmm NOT good luck  but shhhh don't tell her that.
~ Promise

Anonymous said...

Very good way of looking at it! Loved this entry... Hope your wif'es friend and new husband take it to heart... Oh, and congratulations to them!
http://journals.aol.com/astaryth/AdventuresofanEclecticMind

Anonymous said...

Aw, that was so romantic!  Who knows, rain may have a very special meaning to the young couple because of its presence at their wedding.

Anonymous said...

    Well said !!   Tina

Anonymous said...

What a unique way to cheer up the bride. LOL


Your Neighborhood Friend,
Sue

Anonymous said...

Just found your journal via Rebecca's and I had to respond to this one!  31 years ago I was planning a beautiful outdoor June wedding.  We lived in the country, the gardens looked beautiful and my brother spent the previous day mowing probably 2 acres around our house.

So...we had a tornado, accompanied by torrential rains and followed by mud everywhere.  

It made for a great reception (hastily moved indoors to a local business -- no country clubs or party places way out there) where as far as I could tell everyone had a great time because really, what else were you gonna do?!