So I'd pretty much known that there was a bridal shower in store for me last Saturday. The real giveaway was the fact that my mom was flying up, by herself, for a weekend, in February, for no discernible reason. But I had no idea when and no idea where. When I opened the door to my own apartment and saw a crowd of people at the end of the hallway gathered around with cameras flashing and shouting, "SURPRISE!," you could say I was surprised. It was sort of the same kind of jolt you might get after shuffling around on carpet for a while and then touching something metal. I think I actually saw sparks, and I haven't seen the photos yet but I bet my hair was also standing on end.
I am only mildly embarrassed that the first words out of my mouth had something to do with my toilet overflowing that morning. It was an off moment, and probably one of the reasons I will never be President of the United States or Miss America in my lifetime.
I've already mentioned how touched I am by how many people came from so far away, people I haven't seen in months and months. Probably the only disappointing thing about the day was how little time I actually had to spend really talking to people. With so much to catch up on, five minutes at a time was just not enough, but I think sufficient plans have been made for future trips to Yankees games, belated birthday celebrations, beer festivals, and hikes that I can rest easy knowing that our time will come. This was a good catalyst.
Our apartment was completely transformed from when I'd left it that morning. Tables, confetti, streamers, and pink flamingos were everywhere. The stereo - the very one I haven't used in well over a year and surprised me in that it actually worked - was playing "Chapel of Love" and there were these beautiful pink orchids on the table. Siggi's mom knew they were my favorite and brought them from her greenhouse for me. The amount of food in the room was incredible, and I was mildly upset that I'd just come from having a huge lunch and dessert. Luckily there were lots of leftovers, and we are still eating them today.
Every detail was meticulously planned out. Siggi hand-painted personalized flower pots for each guest. The CD she'd made was filled with songs specifically chosen for me and Billy. The food was incredible, and I didn't have to lift a single finger to clean up. The thought that went into the day, the people who shared it with me - even including the ones that were only there in spirit - was just amazing. Even three blog posts don't do it justice.
From the champagne toast to the flamingo swizzle sticks to my niece drawing me pictures of monkeys to the flamingo leis, there wasn't a single moment I wasn't bursting with the joy of knowing that I am quite honestly surrounded by the best human beings on Earth. Thank you could never, ever say enough.
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