Shawn Mendes and Jay's Quiz

I’ve got a secret to share this morning…well, it won’t be much of a secret a minute from now, but I’ve kept it pretty quiet up to this point, and I’m about to blow my cover! I’m not a shout from the social media-rooftop kind of lass, which confusingly is why I’m telling you on national radio, that I’m getting married exactly a month from now! It’s been a stressful time these last few weeks. Like so many couples in the last two years, we decided to dive in without having a 12 month run up to plan and prep every detail. 

In some ways that made it all the less daunting for me— me, who after watching Julia Roberts in Runaway Bride as a teenager, was convinced that somehow or other that would be my fate. I’m saying it out loud to expel the fear!!! But it’s been alright, it’s been just fine, no getaway horses needed just yet! And somehow, against all odds, friends and family are travelling from afar to attend. As I’ve been reviewing the dinner menus and falling into online shopping black holes at midnight, it’s dawned on me that the ‘things’ of the wedding are ultimately so peripheral. According to the Hindu tradition, the most powerful element of a wedding are blessings. That powerful force, more precious than gold, more enduring than diamonds. 

There’s a moment in the traditional ceremony where the guests all hold up their right hand up, palm facing toward the couple, a gesture that symbolises channelling all the good wishes stored in the heart and sending them out through the hand to shower the fortunate receiver with love. I know it will be overwhelming to receive it all, but I can’t help but feel immensely grateful for the chance to just experience that – the power of blessings. As the days pass bringing us closer to the date, I’m meditating on how to be a better receiver, holding my heart out like a vessel, still trying to catch it all, even as it overflows. And I hope I can keep working on this long after the wedding day. Remembering the force of goodwill, that I too can learn to be a blessing giver, and also humbly hold out my hands, to receive.