Brides, bridesmaids, and me

There is a saying in America that goes ... "Always a bridesmaid, never a bride."  It is a saying supposedly uttered by lamenting women everywhere as they are in yet another wedding party as a beautiful bridesmaid but not a beautiful bride.  Is being a bride supposed to be the ultimate achievement for a woman?  As someone who has been both a bridesmaid and a bride, I beg to differ.

In America I believe the stats are that one in three marriages ends in divorce.  I think people, women in particular, are more excited about weddings than they are about marriages.   I have made that mistake and to that I say, never again.

So this summer as I go to yet another wedding I will sit and root for the happy couple because, despite what you may think,  I am a believer in love.  I will be grateful that I am a mere spectator and not  in front of everyone in uncomfortable shoes trying to suck in my gut and look "perfect."  I will sit back and relax because I am there to support the couple as people embracing a future of uncertainty.  I will look at the bride and smile and hope that she is one lady beating the odds.  I  know it isn't romantic, it's just reality.