One of These Things Is Not Like the Others

Maybe it was this song that started it for me.  (Lord knows I've had an obsession with Sesame Street for as long as I've been alive.) 

Video via YouTube

Or maybe it's a classic case of "middle child syndrome," but I've always felt like I had to be different from my peers. Growing up in a family of three girls (plus a cousin who stayed by my side 24/7), standing out was a daily concern.

I really thought this was behind me--I mean, once I grew up and left home it wasn't an issue anymore.  There wasn't a need to act different, because I was myself. 

So why do I feel like I have to be unique again?  Ever since I started planning our wedding, I've felt my inner middle child tugging at my sleeve and whispering, "you need to be unique...be different."  It's starting to get on my nerves. 

I've started caring about things that really shouldn't be an issue.  Here's a great example, the color of my bridesmaids' dresses.  I had two rules: no taffeta and no purple.  I'll admit that I don't really like taffeta, so no issue there.  But do I have anything against the color purple?  No.  Absolutely not.  I kind of love purple.  But in the last year or so, I've been to about four or five weddings that featured purple bridesmaids dresses.  I just wanted to be different.  But now that I'm looking for dresses, I'm beginning to think that purple might be a good choice.  There are so many gorgeous dresses!  Sue me, I like purple bridesmaids dresses!  So why can't I just let go of this whole "different" thing?!

After all, what's so different about getting married?  People get married all the time!  But when you look deeper, past the dresses and the flowers and any other design detail, the wedding is different because it's ours.  Because it's the most important day of our relationship so far.  Because it's the day we get to celebrate our relationship with all our friends and family.   

Our friends, our families, our relationship.  That's unique!  That's something that will never be seen again! 

So I'm going to try to let it go.  And start me off on the right food, I'm writing this all down.  Please, feel free to call me out when I start to act ridiculous again.  Here goes:


I do not care about being different wherein our wedding is concerned. I don't care anymore.  And when I lose my focus and the "be different" bug creeps back into my life, I'm going to ignore it and do what works for us. 

Phew. 

Anyone else get bit by the "I need our wedding to be different" bug?