![\"wedding-27-August-2013-Vegas\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/wedding-27-August-2013-Vegas.jpg\")
<\/a>I\u2019m sitting in the lobby of a hotel in Guatemala, reflecting on our life-changing transformational mission there, when I received the following text from my husband, Frank: “Can we go to Las Vegas on August 27th? I responded, \u201cYes, we can.\u201d<\/p>\nI immediately knew this date and its significance\u2026but more about that after I back up a bit.<\/p>\n
The night before receiving his text, I\u2019d gone to a mall with JMT friends. While there, a gorgeous dress in a window behind me CALLED my name. I moved in for a closer look\u2026had to try it on, and as strange as it may seem that a dress in Guatemala could have MY name on it – – it did! I was compelled to buy it even though I had absolutely no idea why!!<\/p>\n
The thought of it all made me smile: \u201cWhat\u2019s an old lady like me doing in Guatemala, receiving text messages\u2026with a white formal dress unexpectedly tucked away in my suitcase?\u201d <\/p>\n
The Laws of Pain, Sacrifice, and Trade-Offs\u2026<\/p>\n
WHY August 27th?<\/p>\n
Almost half century ago, on 27 August 1966, I had complete wedding plans in place\u2026dress, ring\u2026but it turned out that I would NEVER wear THAT dress nor have THAT wedding.<\/p>\n
At the time, our plans were for me to quit college and go to work to support his completing college then I would return to school. But at community college graduation (in May), an epiphany occurred the instant the Dean placed an Associate Degree in my hand \u2013 I unexpectedly had a change of heart! The realization that I really did not want to quit college swept over me and (perhaps for the first time) I understood just how important my education really was.<\/p>\n
Therefore, I made the painful decision to delay our wedding \u2013 which was not well-received.<\/p>\n
Over time, he challenged me with \u2018all or nothing\u2019 and sadly, I chose nothing. I was determined to complete my education.<\/p>\n
So we went our separate ways. He graduated from A & M and soon went to Vietnam. I went off to school, earned my Bachelors & Masters Degrees and became a teacher.<\/p>\n
He went through some extremely difficult circumstances in Vietnam. With genuine concern, I wrote him a letter of support – a letter that fortuitously re-connected us after four long years apart. We agreed to see each other again when he returned to the U.S.<\/p>\n
Oh what a rush of memories and emotion when we met again\u2026it was somewhat akin to magic!<\/p>\n
Returning home from Guatemala, I reflected on his military career, four deployments, my career, two wonderful sons, and our long successful marriage (which did eventually occur on 7 November 1970.) I thought about how, through the years, Frank often gently harassed me about \u201cthrowing him under the bus\u201d and how not far beneath the surface, he felt genuine anguish that he\u2019d been cheated out of his \u201cwedding that was meant to be.\u201d<\/p>\n
I asked myself, \u201cWould I do it again?\u201d<\/p>\n
In that moment, the beautiful white dress (tucked away in the belly of the plane) once again magically called my name\u2026and I gasped in recognition of \u2018its reason for being!\u2019 Suddenly, my consciousness awakened to new possibilities!<\/p>\n
I was now knowingly aware of the dress\u2019 magic!<\/p>\n
I arrived home and offered him this once-in-a-lifetime deal: \u201cIf he would choose to let go of the pain he\u2019d carried in his heart all these years, I would marry him on 27 August 2013 \u2013 47 years later!!<\/p>\n
He was ecstatic…lit up like a Christmas tree! So together with great joy, we planned a beautiful, memorable wedding. I surprised him with the beautiful white dress from Guatemala that remarkably had my name on it.<\/p>\n
I sincerely believe the universe knew that this truly was a \u201cwedding always meant to be.\u201d<\/p>\n