Professionalism
Last Sunday I had a wedding at my favorite downtown venue.
The Sunday prior I had taken a big fall into the street while walking three of our doggies. All week my arm ached and throbbed, ultimately I went to the urgent care and got x-rays and treatment two days before the wedding. I started taking steroids to help reduce the inflammation at the urgent care and for a week to follow.
On the day of this couples wedding I felt dreadful. My arm hurt, I felt "off", just a floaty, spacey, off. I was also quite emotional because i felt ill.
I had their wedding. I had to be there. I showered, put on my makeup and clothes and went to their wedding.
I coordinated with the DJ and photographer over the usual wedding planning. The wedding started almost a half hour late due to the delay in guests arriving.
I performed a really excellent wedding ceremony. I kept my head high, a smile on my face and no one would have known how awful I felt. This was y five hundred and thirty ninth ceremony in just over eight years.
I have missed one booked wedding ceremony. I had a lifetime opportunity arise and my husband, who is also an officiant, took my place. I checked with the bride in advance and she had no issue since I was honest up front and I made plans for a replacement as good as me.
I was sick on one other occasion when I had a wedding to perform. I had gallstones and I was two days away from laser gallbladder removal surgery. I attended the wedding rehearsal and performed the wedding ceremony in quite severe pain.
On several occasions my husband and I have been contacted by local officiants who have had to back out of their booked wedding ceremonies for schedule conflicts. We have been contacted by couples whose officiant has backed out or completely "no showed" for their wedding ceremony for a variety of reasons.
When I make a commitment, I stick to it whether it be in my personal or professional life. If I were sick beyond being able to stand I would probably have to ask my husband to perform my wedding ceremony in my place.
This meaning of this post is that life is hard, it throws curve balls, I've been dodging them all of 2019, but those curve balls