Last weekend I again traveled home to Chicago for a bridal shower, this time for my future sister-in-law, Olivia. She and my brother, Ryan, have been engaged since 2019 and are now on their third wedding date due to the volatility and uncertainty caused by the pandemic. It has been quite the wild ride for this couple, but they have taken all the ups, downs, pivots, and corkscrews in stride. It seems these days nothing in life is truly certain, and yet love remains a constant that is able to carry us through even the most turbulent times.
Given it has been almost three years since their engagement, I was very much looking forward to finally showering Olivia and officially celebrating her and Ryan’s upcoming nuptials. My mom, her friend, Lori, my aunts, and I organized the event, and I was excited that months and even years of planning and pivoting would now finally come to fruition.
While Olivia’s shower was held at the same venue as mine, Mom and Lori made a point of making both events feel distinctly unique and personalized for each of the couples being honored. Because Cam and I met and began our relationship at Notre Dame, my shower was shamrock-themed (as well as animal, travel, and watermelon themed, too!), and boasted beautiful shamrock-dotted centerpieces, green-inspired guest gift bingo cards, and Irish-honoring cookie cutters incorporated as part of the take-away favors. Seeking another creative design inspiration, Lori and Mom settled on all things bees and honey, which made for very sweet, colorful, and cutesy pun-filled planning possibilities. Olivia’s parents have property in rural Illinois where they grow an abundant set of fruits and vegetables and have also recently begun raising bees. She and Ryan enjoy weekends there to escape the hustle and bustle of Chicago city life, and spending time amidst nature and the bees has become a significant staple of their engaged life together. With that in mind, this seemed like a perfect party theme that was cute, thoughtful, and filled with room for fun, creative ideas.
Similar to my shower, the event was beautiful, thoughtful, and well-executed, and it was clear that everyone present had an absolute blast. The conversation flowed, the food was delicious, and the energy was buzzing[1] and undeniably palpable. Women from all different parts of my life seamlessly mingled and enjoyed each other’s company, and I couldn’t help but soak it all in with an attitude of gratitude and appreciation. The last couple years have been especially hard, uncertain, and tumultuous, and sometimes it has been hard to keep a clear grasp on it all. And yet, friends and family have remained an unwavering constant at the core of everything, and I am so deeply grateful for the love, laughs, and solace these beautiful relationships have provided. For while there is much to bemoan or strive to improve in this life, there is also much to celebrate and uphold as undeniably beautiful and good. Olivia’s shower served as yet another reminder that life is sweet, rich, and full of wonderful surprises, and I am just so honored and grateful to be along for the bee-autiful ride.
[1] Get it?!
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