The Dress
Two of our closest friends were married this past weekend. The ceremony took place in an exquisite garden surrounded by flowers. They made a beautiful couple, a true picture of happiness. The ceremony from start to finish brought tears to the most stubborn of eyes and the reception was a perfect end to a perfect day.
The weeks leading up to the big day were not so beautiful for me. Okay, the bride, a close friend of mine, asked me to be a bridesmaid. My first emotion was excitement, my second was moved that she would even think of me. She's marrying one of my husband's best friends, someone I have become very close to as well. My answer was of course I would love to stand with you on your day. Husband was asked to be the Best Man, life is good and perfect.
And then, I receive a call from the bride-to-be asking me to run to the nearest bridal shop and try on a dress. It wasn't a problem at all b/c I was just right down the road at a bookstore. Leaving hubby, kids, plus one more in the car, I quickly run into the store, and try on the requested bridesmaid dress. Now, this isn't my first rodeo. I've been a bridesmaid at least four times over but when I tried on this dress, I could not believe my eyes. I looked like the good year blimp. I knew I had gained some weight over the past year, but until that very moment, I hadn't a clue of how much. And you know, I could get over a number, I mean, a number is just a number. But the way I looked in the dress was totally shocking.
Unfortunately, truth be known, I did not have one nice thing to say about the wedding from that point on and vowed on a daily basis, that I would never be a bridesmaid ever, ever, ever again.... so help me God!
I called the bride, gritting through my teeth, revealed my dress size, and stumbled back to the truck. With kids yelling from the backseat, hubby asks how did it go? I, still in a state of shock, mumble halfheartedly, "okay."
For the next three weeks leading up to the wedding, I drifted between rational and irrational. Rationally, I began exercising and watching what I was eating. I lost 4 pounds pretty fast. Redemption was quickly crushed when the bride-to-be brought me The Dress. It was not the same dress I had tried on earlier. It was a more formal dress. A strapless, form fitting dress. A dress that on me, would not zip up the back. I mean, it would not even come close.
Okay, don't panic, I'll just call the bridal shop and get the right size, a double digit size, ugh. They don't have that size in stock and it would take 4 to 6 weeks to get one in, the wedding's in 2 weeks.
Irrationally, I buy some pills promising to work miracles. With my heart racing, I felt like I was wrapped tighter than a sardine, but I did lose 2 more pounds. We then had our annual 4th of July Bash and directly following, we had company. For five days, I ate good and gained back the weight I lost. Okay, with 4 days before the wedding, the dress is not going to zip. I fast three days, buy a girdle, and somehow zip the dress for the wedding.
I convinced myself that I had pulled off the impossible and all with some style, grace, and beauty. But then I saw the video. It proved the inevitable, I looked nothing short of the good year blimp.
The newlyweds are making their way to Jamaica, while I'm sitting here on the computer drinking a diet Sunkist, eating baked triscuits and some Famous Amos chocolate chip cookies. The dress is in the trash can.
The weeks leading up to the big day were not so beautiful for me. Okay, the bride, a close friend of mine, asked me to be a bridesmaid. My first emotion was excitement, my second was moved that she would even think of me. She's marrying one of my husband's best friends, someone I have become very close to as well. My answer was of course I would love to stand with you on your day. Husband was asked to be the Best Man, life is good and perfect.
And then, I receive a call from the bride-to-be asking me to run to the nearest bridal shop and try on a dress. It wasn't a problem at all b/c I was just right down the road at a bookstore. Leaving hubby, kids, plus one more in the car, I quickly run into the store, and try on the requested bridesmaid dress. Now, this isn't my first rodeo. I've been a bridesmaid at least four times over but when I tried on this dress, I could not believe my eyes. I looked like the good year blimp. I knew I had gained some weight over the past year, but until that very moment, I hadn't a clue of how much. And you know, I could get over a number, I mean, a number is just a number. But the way I looked in the dress was totally shocking.
Unfortunately, truth be known, I did not have one nice thing to say about the wedding from that point on and vowed on a daily basis, that I would never be a bridesmaid ever, ever, ever again.... so help me God!
I called the bride, gritting through my teeth, revealed my dress size, and stumbled back to the truck. With kids yelling from the backseat, hubby asks how did it go? I, still in a state of shock, mumble halfheartedly, "okay."
For the next three weeks leading up to the wedding, I drifted between rational and irrational. Rationally, I began exercising and watching what I was eating. I lost 4 pounds pretty fast. Redemption was quickly crushed when the bride-to-be brought me The Dress. It was not the same dress I had tried on earlier. It was a more formal dress. A strapless, form fitting dress. A dress that on me, would not zip up the back. I mean, it would not even come close.
Okay, don't panic, I'll just call the bridal shop and get the right size, a double digit size, ugh. They don't have that size in stock and it would take 4 to 6 weeks to get one in, the wedding's in 2 weeks.
Irrationally, I buy some pills promising to work miracles. With my heart racing, I felt like I was wrapped tighter than a sardine, but I did lose 2 more pounds. We then had our annual 4th of July Bash and directly following, we had company. For five days, I ate good and gained back the weight I lost. Okay, with 4 days before the wedding, the dress is not going to zip. I fast three days, buy a girdle, and somehow zip the dress for the wedding.
I convinced myself that I had pulled off the impossible and all with some style, grace, and beauty. But then I saw the video. It proved the inevitable, I looked nothing short of the good year blimp.
The newlyweds are making their way to Jamaica, while I'm sitting here on the computer drinking a diet Sunkist, eating baked triscuits and some Famous Amos chocolate chip cookies. The dress is in the trash can.
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