The Do-Over

At the beginning of summer, Memorial Day weekend to be exact, my hubby and I took a ride over to Jackson to attend the wedding of the son of some our good friends.  The wedding was held in a quaint old church in a not-so-quaint old neighborhood off downtown.  No bother.  The neighborhood did not impair the southern charm and gentility offered by the church or by the day, as the evening sun (just crested) began its descent across the warm western sky.

We were happy to be there.  It was nice to dress up and feel pretty and/or handsome and then watch a family celebration unfold.  It was a 4:00 wedding.  I love 4:00 weddings!

They are beautiful and dressed up, and white lace, and pearls, and black ties and cuff links, and black patent leather shoes, and long fake eyelashes, and silver glitter confetti, and organ music and harps and flutes, and boutonnieres, and freshly-shaven faces, and fresh-cut flowers, and garters, and rosey red cheeks, lips and kisses!  I simply love them!

A french horn announced the arrival of the groom. He entered solemnly and stood before the congregration in anticipation of his bride.  He was glistening.  We were all glistening and full of anticipation.  The ceremony was about to begin.

So now, it was time to light the unity candle.  A three-prong candelabra with candles for lighting that represented the brides' family on one side, the groom's family on the other side and in the center a candle for the couple.  It is to be lit as the parents are seated and just before the bride enters the sanctuary.  There are three sets of parents to be seated - remarriages but everyone is very friendly.

The groom's mom and new husband are first and they light the first candle of the three.  Then in was groom's dad and his new wife (our good friends). Groom's dad was going to sit down straightway but someone insisted he light the second candle.  He hesitated, but obeyed.  He did it.  He just lit the bride's parent's candle!  He sat down.  The assembly made a collective gasp and noted...Awkward!

Enter the bride's parents.  They walked up to the candelabara only to find no candle to light. It had been lit already.  What now?  They stood there.  Blank. Baffled. Dazed. Confused. Perplexed. Bewildered. Baffled. Blow!

Someone blew out the second candle.  I think it was the wedding planner.  The second candle was snuffed.  Gone. The bride's parents were now able to re-light the second candle.  They did.  In a quick reversal of fate and in a collective sigh of relief and in a burst of applause, the Do Over.

Everything in life should be so simply done over, so everyone could always give life the best that they've got...again.