Last month Greg, my younger son, married his lovely fiancée. I looked forward to the celebration with great joy, Katie being as sweet and precious a prospective daughter as I could have hoped.
Mere hours before the rehearsal, though, we almost had to postpone the whole wedding.
The problem?
My nail polish.
Come on, this is serious. I was packing for a two-day stay in Denton and simultaneously trying to enhance my glamour factor.
Being a total klutz at nail polish (it’s right up there with hot surfaces), I fixed my toes first. A coral-pink shade topped by a glitter layer which, if I do say so, looked pretty fetching. Then, while I was practiced up, I tackled the fingers. Knowing my klutziness, I chose a sheer, opalescent shade for my hands. If I can’t get all the stray polish off my fingers, it doesn’t show up too badly.
Being left-handed, applying nail polish with my right hand is, to say the least, awkward. So I did my left hand first. Then I allowed plenty of time for it to dry, so I wouldn’t mess up my left hand trying to polish the right-hand nails.
Meanwhile Eric, my firstborn and Greg’s best man, arrived from Killeen and offered to drive me to Denton. Oh good. I can just put the polish on my right hand in the car.
So I ferried my suitcase and hanging clothes to the car, in between rushing around to grab almost-forgotten items. When it was time to leave, I could not find my sheer nail polish anywhere. I had packed the coral and glittery ones, along with a bottle of clear polish, in case my toes needed repair. But where was the pretty opalescent stuff? Gaaah! I had to leave with only one hand manicured.
This was an unmitigated disaster. Because it’s all about how the mother of the groom looks, right?
Eric and I found the wedding venue, decorated the tables for the dinner, and went to our hotel to change.
Once at the hotel, I made do using some of the clear polish to remove the beautiful opalescent polish from my left hand. Then I managed to apply the coral stuff (no glitter) without getting any of it on my fingers… at least, not past the first knuckle. Fine. I’ll just keep my hands moving so if they are in a photo, they will be blurry.
Brent joined us in due time. The rehearsal went great and the dinner ran smoothly. Smoother than my nails, I can tell you. On the wedding day, the family and all the guests gathered. Brent escorted me to our seats. Moments later, my handsome son stood at the front of the crowd with a stunningly beautiful Katie and their worship pastor. Suddenly Greg seemed to morph from a young man into a skinny third-grader. Do all moms feel this way when their kids marry? I blinked, and he was a grown man again, love and commitment in every aspect of his face and voice.
What a marvelous weekend, working on decorations together, getting to know Katie’s family better, sharing these two who now belong to all of us as well as to each other. My family keeps growing. What a blessing!
Hm… maybe a wedding isn’t all about how the mother of the groom looks.
Thanks for reading,
Jan
I hope you’ll join me for coffee over at Rachel Anne’s Company Girls.
Also, some of my friends are sharing tales of summer renewal, refreshment or release. I’m linked up with them at the Soli Deo Gloria party.
Jan C Johnson, Author 
Ha! Great post! Fiction and romance all in one! They look wonderful…as I’m sure you toes did as well! ❤
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Thanks, Margo! I was definitely a “twinkle-toes” that evening.
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Wonderful blog, Jan!! I enjoyed it!! Congrats on having two married sons, and two daughter-in-laws! (And soon to be first grandbaby!) It’s fun to watch your family grow!
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I appreciate your comment, Sandy! It is wonderful to have friends who share our joy.
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Smiling tonight … you’re bringing back memories of some very happy occasions along the way. God is good!
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Linda, it’s great to meet you and see your excellent blog. Thanks for commenting. I’d like to get in touch with you some time about letting me re-post one of your pieces. Lots of wonderful resources there at Creekside!
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You crack me up! I can relate to the left hand trying to do the right…cause it ain’t pretty since I am left-handed too! So happy for your wonderful family additions…enjoy every moment as you so deserve.
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Haha, I guess everyone has trouble using their “wrong” hand to manicure the dominant one. But apparently, some women practice FAR more often than I do… Thanks for stopping by! You are always an encourager.
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When I first read the title, I thought, “Jan is Polish?” Like from Poland. Never a dull moment around these parts, Jan. Thanks for the smile and so happy for your family!
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You’re onto me… I did mean for that to read “Polish” rather than “polish.” We often humorously compare a multiple-day event to a Polish wedding… although I’ve never attended such a wedding in real life, so that may be a badly outdated simile! Thanks for the visit & comment!
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Oh, Jan….yes, our sons morph in front of our eyes–I felt the same way at our Aaron’s wedding.
You make me laugh out loud–I couldn’t keep up with which polish was on which appendage/and/or missing…….how your gift of making us laugh must please our Heavenly Father. You are a blessing to me.
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Jody, I’m glad I am not alone. Love those “kids!”
Oh, and I was just as lost as you about the nail polish…. and I was wearing it (or not)!
Blessings, my friend!
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Our daughter got married a few months ago. Such fun. I went with no polish. 🙂
Fondly,
Glenda
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Brilliant!! Why didn’t I think of that? It would have been so easy….
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I have many years before my girls are married, so I guess I should practice doing my nails. :p I did help coordinate a friend’s wedding once, and left that morning with my flip flops on…although they were nice flip flops and they did match my dress. I probably shouldn’t be coordinating weddings while toting a 18-month old around. :p
Congrats to the lovely couple! 🙂
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Yes! Start practicing on your nails NOW! (Of course your daughters will be able to help by the time you need them.)
Thanks for stopping by, Joanna!
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On this day for me you will have to remind me of the fact ‘it’s not all about how the mother of the groom looks’. And I loved how he morphed into a 3rd grader up there. This day makes me want to pee my pants just thinking about it. I must pray now because it wil take forever for the Lord to convince me I WILL BE OK! ha! I don’t believe in painting my own toes, go get them done!
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Sweet Marlece, You have such a wonderful family of boys… Just wait, as they grow into those new relationships and find The Right One, you really will be OK. It’s different, but even better! Love you!
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