I got married at the height of COVID. June, to be precise. We were engaged the November before– when the world was still normal. By March, when everything shut down, we basically had a wedding put together and almost paid off. We had a plan; from the DJ, the photographer, the venue, the wedding party, the dresses, the suits, the food– everything was set for our June wedding.

But like most weddings that were derailed by the coronavirus, it never happened. At least, not according to that plan.The best of our plans came to nothing, and I, like most brides of the time, was completely disappointed that my turn had finally come to plan a wedding and be a bride and It was not going to be what I thought it would be.

I think anyone living the human experience can agree that sometimes, life just happens. It’s just a fact of life, that one day you feel like you're flying, only to find the next day that you were actually falling. You were never flying at all. Any number of things could happen to you. You could crash your car. You could lose your job. You could find out your spouse is cheating. You could walk through grieving a loved one. 

Personally, I’ve recently found out someone very close to me– one of my best friends– has cancer. If you’ve ever been in the position where you’re a part of the support system for someone going through cancer, you’ll know there are many emotions attached. There’s grief that life is about to change radically as your loved one walks through treatment; trying to do everything you can and feeling like it’s not enough. There’s worry for the days ahead and the many outcomes that can happen. And at the same time, there’s an adamant and stubborn desire to remain strong for that person, wanting to be encouraging and steadfast and ready to dig your heels in and help that person fight.