“His coworker saw one of their work trucks in a bad accident on the highway. My heart started to race, and I frantically continued to call Brian over and over again. Still no answer.”
‘The first thing he wrote down was, ‘Was it my fault?’ I ran out of the room to get his mom. We all took a deep breath.’
‘It was our 11-year wedding anniversary. I had been up since 5:30 a.m. I cooked an entire breakfast by myself. I picked up the house, did laundry. All alone.’
“You might be saying, ‘Oh no, where is the romance? Why is your husband working on your anniversary? How could he ever do that?! My husband would never!”
‘I was home alone one night. I was getting into bed when I took off my bra. That was when I felt it. It literally took my breath when I felt it.’
“When I was 24, I had everything. An amazing job, a home I loved, and a boyfriend I knew was going to be my husband. I couldn’t imagine life being more perfect, and at that age didn’t even think that life could take a turn. But it always does, doesn’t it?”
‘Today was supposed to be the best day of my life. I was supposed to wake up, put on my wedding dress and walk down the aisle to the man of my dreams.’
“He was only two streets away from home. Today I will not have a husband… because a person made a choice that has forever changed my life.”
‘I didn’t know then, as he held me in his arms, that less than 5 years from that night he would be dead.’
“I didn’t know this moment would be one of the few. When our babies fell asleep, and we’d have enough energy to dance in the kitchen, suds still on my hands from the dishes as he would pull me away from the sink when his favorite song would come on.”
‘Marriage 2! This one only lasted 9 months. I was broke. He was not. He drove a nice car. He treated us to things. I’m not proud of this.’
“Then one night, he poured me a glass of wine. I took a sip and saw something in the bottom of my glass. No… It can’t be what I think it is. Can I keep drinking and pretend I don’t see it?”
‘My father was murdered. When Sawyer was 7 months old, I had a dream. He told me he was proud of me. I decided my dad was telling me I needed to do something that made me happy.’
“When people find out, the first thing out of their mouths is ‘why?’ I typically give a throw-away answer like ‘because I’m crazy,’ but that’s not the full truth.”
‘I was 18 when I had my first child. Now, I’m Mother of the Bride. I am not wearing shapewear. My love for eating and my disdain for Spandex imprisonment rail against it.’
“I’m only 44, so I don’t want some flowy, champagne-colored gown with a bespangled bodice. I’m at least 20 years away from that outfit. Of course, va-va-voom is out. It’s my daughter’s day and I’m not much of a bombshell anyhow. I want to look nice, but not come-hither.”
‘I was ejected and thrown 50 feet from my car. I died that day. I knew I couldn’t feel my legs, but I didn’t know why. I was told I would never walk again.’
“I think every girl dreams of walking down the aisle to her husband. I had pictured it in my head since I was a little girl. I didn’t want that picture to play out differently just because of my accident. So I chased my dream.”
‘On our wedding day, by the end of the night, he was drained. The morning after, he slept in late because he was so exhausted. His heart was racing, he was shaking.’
“I could see the fear in his eyes looking back at me from the mirror the second I approached him.”
