Unexpected Help

There are plenty of times in life when we wish we could do something but we just can’t. We need help! For me, this feels relatively often. For example, I can never reach anything on the top shelf of places like the grocery store, my house, my classroom...you get the picture. I either have to use the help of a chair to stand on, use a little footstool, or ask someone around me. Lucky for me, my sixth graders are taller than I am so they can reach just about anything. And John, my fiancé is also taller than me so I can ask him (and often do) for help reaching the items on the top shelf of our cupboards. I’m always asking for help with things!

One thing I hoped I would never have to ask help with is performing a ceremony. I love working with clients to create a ceremony they love, showing up the day of the ceremony, performing the ceremony, and seeing the joy in their faces when they experience their ceremony firsthand. It’s a beautiful feeling even for me! In January I was so excited because I had my first ceremony of the 2018 season at a cute little church in Morrison, Colorado. I’d met with the couple, John and Rhiann, only about a week and a half before their ceremony and we were excited to work together. They were about as sweet as it gets and we created a small ceremony that fit their micro wedding. As the day approached, I knew something was off. John (my fiancé, not the one in the couple) got sick the Tuesday a week and a half before John and Rhiann’s ceremony was set to take place. I did everything I could to stay well. I was NOT going to catch the crud! Low and behold, try as I might, I did catch the crud. That Sunday before Rhiann and John were set to be married (their ceremony was on Thursday), I got sick. Again, I tried everything to get well. I stayed in bed, I took time off of work, I took cough medicine. I tried EVERYTHING.

On Tuesday, two days before their ceremony, my voice started to go out. I was in a panic but I called them that night, went over the ceremony with them, changed a few things that they asked to be changed, and we were ready to rock! My voice would come back. I just knew it.

On Wednesday, one day before their ceremony, my voice was gone. I mean, there was no tone at all to my voice. I was feeling better that day and I went to work but since I work with kids, I had to be careful not to use my voice too much. The day went by easily. I knew I was still sick but I wasn’t feeling ill. It was just my darn voice! I knew that if I rested long enough it would come back by the next day. Right? I hoped! I knew I had to be prepared for the worst so I sent a text to the bride and groom explaining the situation to them. I then went to work on finding a replacement Certified Life-Cycle Celebrant to fill in for me if I still had no voice the following day. It took a lot of work and a little help from some of the staff at the Celebrant Foundation and Institute and eventually I was able to get in touch with my personal Celebrant and good friend Diane. She moved things around in her schedule and made herself available for the ceremony.

Thursday morning came. I woke up and though I was feeling terribly sick I went to work anyway. That lasted about five minutes when I realized that I was much too sick to be at work. AND my voice was still gone! Ok, there was a little tone to it that morning but not enough to perform the ceremony for the couple. I emailed Diane and told her that yes in fact she would be doing the ceremony, sent another text to the couple saying the same, and  left work to go sleep off the illness. A few hours later I woke up and went to John and Rhiann’s ceremony. I told them I wouldn’t miss it. I promised and I was going to keep that promise. Though I felt more sick than I had all week, I went and watched as my friend Diane took the ceremony I wrote for John and Rhiann and brought it to life. I was so grateful that she was able to help me out when I was sick and of course I still felt terrible that I couldn’t perform the ceremony myself. It really is important to make sure you have people who have your back in times of need. Situations arise and when they do, you need support. This ceremony is done and over with and I’m so glad it turned out well in spite of me being sick!

When have you had to get unexpected help?

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