The Strike System

My most recent post did not include all the reasons I am  determined not to argue, quarrel or otherwise interfere with my daughters wedding plans.  I had to save something for this post.
What I saved were the some of the primary reasons.
There they are:

1. It is HER wedding.
2. I want it to be fun.
3. I want to make lots of good memories (and hopefully no bad ones.)
4. She has put me on a strike system.

The fourth reason might be the most influential one.
I am officially on her strike system. Here is how it happened.
She mentioned that she might want "fair type" food at her wedding reception.
"Well, you are getting married in September and the state fair will be going on. Perhaps you could go with a while fair themed wedding," said I.
"Mom, that is strike one," said she.

This is not baseball, I thought to myself but said it not (nor anything else for a while.) Maybe out of fear (or maybe out of frustration (I really wasn't being sarcastic, I promise!) Maybe even out of confusion, I listened quietly to her tell me that I have three strikes. After three, she may just elect to elope.
The strikes are for "unnecessary and or/unkind and unhelpful comments." More than three of them out of me in these next months leading up to the wedding and there will be no wedding.


Now consider for a moment that there was not a baby girl born in our family from the birth of the bride-to-be and her niece, a time span of just over 18 years. That means it will be a long time since we'll be hosting another wedding. Not to put pressure on my child (as if I could do that anyway) but I do feel some sense of duty to the friends and family who really want to see the baby walk down the aisle in her wedding gown and who really do want to celebrate with her and her groom and the rest of us.
Bottom line: I gotta behave.
Smile, nod my head. A lot.