Chapter 8 of my book focuses on the Big Day itself – the walk down the aisle, the ceremony, the day you become a wife. Often brides try and plan every detail of the day – not just the venue, date, and food but also the actual emotions they will feel: I will be an anxious wreck walking down the aisle. My tough-guy fiancé will shed a tear when he sees me in my dress. My mother will be overly dramatic about...everything. Below I have included a portion of the chapter that tells the story of Sarah, a bride who almost convinced herself into negative feelings but was able to simply ... feel. |
"It absolutely is the biggest walk of your life," I said to her
“I don’t,” she relied. “But I’m pretty sure I’m going to be anxious.”
“Okay, but you can’t be certain,” I told her. “What if, instead of convincing yourself that you’ll be nervous just before your ceremony, you tell yourself that you will simply be curious about what you’re feeling?
What if you make a conscious effort to let in whatever feelings arise, let them course through your body and your mind? What if you treat the feelings you have when you walk down the aisle the same way you did when you were stuffing the envelopes?
That day, you let yourself feel the pang of sadness about leaving your family, but then a feeling of happiness about marrying Jake quickly followed. Remember that? What if you let one feeling flow through to the next, and let yourself be where you are?”