16 years ago, Scott proposed to me on the dock at our favorite family summer vacation spot, Bass Lake, California. It was a place I went to every year as a child and continued to love as an adult. So, when Scott got down on one knee on a wobbly dock, I knew it was meant to be.
There wasn’t a doubt in my mind that I wanted to say “yes” to this new chapter in my life.
As we began our wedding planning, there were other moments that were meant to be. I always was infatuated with the Historic Green Hotel located in Pasadena, Ca. My great grandmother worked there in the 1940s. She was a caretaker to a wealthy tenant who lived at the hotel.
As a young girl, my mom would drive me by this amazing castle and I would dream about getting dressed up to attend a fancy ball there. It has the most ornate architecture that makes you feel like you are part of a Spanish castle. I always felt a special connection to that historic building.
So, when I called to see if I could make an appointment to visit this wedding venue, the receptionist quickly said, “Sorry, we are booked two years out. There is nothing available.”
For the next couple of weeks, I looked at many other venues, many beautiful sites, but none of them made me feel like I was coming home. I was ready to settle on another place, but then I decided to take a walk with my mom in downtown Pasadena. We were browsing the bridal shops, and we just happened to meander onto Green Street. As we got closer to the entrance of the Green Hotel, I couldn’t help but feel my heart flutter a bit. My mom said, “Why don’t you just try talking to someone in the office here. You never know if there are cancellations.”
When I got to the entrance, it was locked. However, this older gentleman slowly walked to the door and opened it. He said, “Come on in.” I asked him, “Where do I go to talk to the venue coordinator?”
He kindly guided me down the hallway and said he was going back to his apartment.
We found the area and the coordinator was surprised to see us. She asked us how we got in since we did not have an appointment. She was taken aback because she said no one has lived in this part of the hotel for many years.
As the story unfolded, that same day a cancellation did show up in her computer system. She had October 21, 2006 available for our wedding day!
All of those events that day were meant to be. A year later, Scott and I had the most beautiful wedding reception at the historic hotel that we had admired for years.
There are many life moments when things are meant to be, but there are also moments when things are really not meant to be. Just as important it is to find the “perfect meant to be moments”, we as humans, also have to discern when we are trying to hold onto something, that needs to be let go.
It is in those times of discomfort, when the whisper in your ear that says no, or the feeling in your stomach feels empty, when you have to decide if you are going to move with the status quo or make a change.
I feel like when we can have these honest conversations with ourselves, with our co-workers, with our loved ones, we are freeing ourselves. The truth of the matter is, the moments that “are truly meant to be” were a lot of small moments that added up to that culminating experience.
When was the last time, when you felt like all arrows were pointing to your true North star? If you haven’t felt that in awhile, take stock. It might just be that you have to make a few alterations to find your perfect moment again.