Do you ever feel like there are certain years that require so much energy that all the other years seem almost unmemorable? In January 2015, my son got married here in Dallas. Our youngest son graduated from Jesuit in May. In August, he began his first semester as a Horned Frog. October brought our daughter’s wedding in Seaside, Florida. And to cap the year off, I turned 50 in November which JB and I celebrated with a trip to NYC. And those were just the big events…throw in a ski trip to Crested Butte, a weekend in Vegas, a week in Maui, a family reunion in Chicago, and a business/pleasure trip to Seattle and it was a huge, unforgettable 12 months.
But also exhausting. Financially draining. Emotionally volatile. It was in January following all that craziness that I finally went to my physician because I felt just crummy. I had dismissed my erratic emotional highs and lows as a product of the stress brought on by the weddings, etc. He diagnosed me with rheumatoid arthritis and sent me immediately to a specialist in Dallas who has managed my disease ever since.
Fast forward to 2023 and my rheumatologist and I are chatting about life and work and I complained that it was going to be another frenetic year, with 4 family weddings, including my youngest son’s nuptials in August, blah blah blah, does it ever slow down? Dr. Cohen smiled and shared his daddy’s advice with me. “Never miss an opportunity to attend a happy occasion. Because there will be many sad occasions that you have no choice but to be there. Always celebrate the joy.”
This was such a good message for me. Yes, 2023 is another monumental year for the Butterfield clan. Of course, money is flowing like a river from the bank account. I am feeling overwhelmed by planning trips, looking for dresses, arranging lodging and all the other details required in a year filled to the brim. But, they are all HAPPY occasions. Four weddings and a 35th anniversary are each an opportunity to see all the people we love and spend time with them while we still can. It is all JOY.
In mid-April, our neighbors hosted a lovely wedding shower for my son and his bride. It was so much fun to spend time with their friends and ours, laughing and catching up. We also managed to squeeze in a dinner with our son’s future in-laws at Joe T. Garcia. It will probably be the final time the 6 of us have a quiet moment together before the big event in August.
Last weekend we attended our niece’s wedding to her high school sweetheart. JB’s parents (87 and 89 years old) flew over from Albuquerque and the four of us road-tripped to Fayetteville, Arkansas. Such a fun 48 hours on the U of A campus with an abundance of cute young couples, lots and lots of tequila, many turns on the dance floor and sweet moments reflecting on the passage of time.
In four weeks, we are headed to Denver to celebrate niece #2 and an even larger Butterfield group will be in attendance, including my two daughters and their hubbies. And I will wear a big smile, a bright, colorful dress, dance and toast and LOVE every minute of it.
Embrace. Embrace. Embrace.
