What Actually Matters?

Originally published on 9-7-13

A few years ago my girlfriend and I were moseying along South Congress and we stopped into the Hotel Saint Cecilia bar to have a drink. After we sat down the bartender asked for our room key.  I told him that we weren’t staying on property; we were just there for a cocktail.  He politely informed us that the bar was only available to hotel guests, and a few minutes later we were back, moseying along South Congress.

I walked out slightly bummed but since the bartender was so polite, I was intrigued.

I thought, one day, when it’s a super special occasion, I’ll stay there.

Fast forward to super special occasion, July 26th, 2013. Guapo proposed, we were officially engaged and planning commenced.

Part of the planning was booking a hotel room for our wedding night. As soon as Guapo gave me a hint of support for booking a room at the HSC, I was on it.  It is possible that I booked it while he was finishing his declaration of support. “Sure, I think a room at the HSC would be…..” “Click.” Booked. I was thrilled! Hotel Saint Cecilia, here we come!

I booked it for two nights, August 28th the night before our wedding and August 29th our wedding night.  My plans were to hang with my girlfriends, enjoy some extra time at the hotel and get ready for the big day, of course!

A few days out Guapo suggested that the night before the wedding I should sleep wherever I’d get the most rest and be most peaceful. He said he loved me and understood if I wanted to get some extra girl time and that we’d have plenty of nights together after. I felt he sincerely meant either location.

As I was mulling it over my sleeping situation I thought about Sex and City, the movie. Carrie and Big get engaged. Their wedding planning starts off intimate and then snowballs into a huge NYC sized production. They have intense drama and spend the next year trying to get back to where they started, cozy.

In the four weeks of wedding planning I made a concerted effort to keep everything as cool and casual as possible. I wasn’t zen, I just did my best. I never wanted to have the cake topper not coming in overshadow the importance of us committing our lives to each other. In the same vein, we had a teeny wedding of 25. This was our way of focusing on the marriage and not the production of a wedding.

It must be said that I delight in attending large, festive weddings.  If those work for you, I am thrilled and please invite me to yours! I will show up in your wedding video dancing like a fool.  However, a big fat Mexican wedding just doesn’t suit our personality as a couple.

Back to the task as hand -- deciding whether or not to stay at the hotel the night before our wedding. 

As I was trying to figure it out I thought, “What will bring me/us the most peace and which choice will highlight the reason of honor so to speak?”  I thought, “I am committing my life to this person tomorrow and my priority is staying in a cooler than cool hotel?” It just didn’t sit well with me. By 3pm on the 28th I had decided. Home was where I would stay. 

I stayed at home and our fabulous to die for hotel room, where movie stars stay, stayed empty.

We slept in our bed together and woke up together. We have a beautiful morning routine that I guard intently and I guarded it that day too. There was no way we were going to start this marriage focusing on RSVPs, dinner selections or other people’s preferences. Family and friends were in town and buzzing around but we didn’t let that cut into our morning time either.

On the morning of our wedding day we read newspapers, sipped hot almond milk lattes and enjoyed each other’s company. At 9am we kissed goodbye and agreed to see each other at 4:45pm, ceremony time.

It’s so easy, especially during big moments like a wedding day, to get worked up and focus on a million little things: different personalities, schedules, rentals, linens, weather and even the groom’s attire.

Those are all little things and in the end they don’t matter. And if we’re keeping things in perspective, they don’t matter, ever.

Take a moment to write down what matters to you. It will help keep you on track.

My focus for this event is:_____________

My goal today is:____________________

I am here today to:___________________.

Don’t let your mood or perspective or goals get polluted by all the junk floating around in your orbit. I encourage you to stay peaceful and hang onto what matters most to you.