"...any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bells tolls; it tolls for thee." - John Donne
Recently, I decided to apply for a job at a bridal salon (and was hired on the spot). Why work with brides-to-be as a widow? Because working with and helping these ladies is unbelievably therapeutic for me. Today was my third day at work and guess what? She rang the bell! Whenever a bride-to-be says, “yes to the dress,” the staff tells her to place the bell next to heart, make a wish/say a prayer and then ring the bell. She did. We all cried. She was remarrying again and felt beautiful. She reconnected with her high school sweetheart after thirty years thanks to Facebook. She and her husband even decided to manage, decorate and pay for the small, intimate wedding at her home church. They will even have a sand ceremony (I didn’t have this at my wedding and actually had never heard of it). Times have changed since I said “I do” but it was also refreshing to learn the latest wedding dos and don'ts. From what she shared with me, it’s a beautiful way to unify the family and couple. I explained to her how I had never heard of this and how things have changed since my marriage. Nevertheless, I ensured that the conversation was not focused on my history but her new story. It was the end of my shift, but surprisingly, I didn’t want to leave. Hearing her story truly made me want to recreate mine but I knew that I couldn’t because you can’t rush destiny. So my dear widows, whenever you hear a bell toll, make a wish or say a prayer, think of your LH and ...smile.
-Sabra