The day has finally arrived. the day when I leave my past behind and the day when I begin a whole new life.
I couldn't be more happy and yet a tinge of sadness reminds me of what I'm about to leave behind and the girl the girl that I am willing to part with for ever. For ever is a long time but if I do it right, time will be a priceless concept in a world of happiness and love. A sudden urge to cry overwhelms me and threatens to release the dam of emotions that I have been trying so hard to hold in. But I can't cry. Not yet and not at this moment which will surely mark the greatest day of my life, and which will remind me of how happy I am now.
I look at the large gold framed mirror standing in front of me and observe what I see. In it I see a girl, a woman, standing with her hands poised carefully at her sides so she wouldn't get her long and beautiful white dress somewhat smeared or ruined from its original perfection. On the outside, with her wavy brown ringlets and flawless make-up, she looks perfect and stunning. But on the inside she feels nervous and her heart beats strongly against her rib cage and the deafening sound of it feels the room. Suddenly the girl looks up and notice her large brown eyes shine with tears. I recognize those eyes, they're my eyes and the girl in the mirror is me and it's my wedding day. I feel too many emotions at the same time. Happiness, excitement, worry and nervousness, brake in like waves until I don't know which ones to serve and which ones to avoid. I observe myself in in the mirror once more and the thing that I least wanted to happen happens. A tear rolls down my left cheek and as I look into my eyes, I'm pulled back in time and remember my most precious memories.
I am seven years old and it's my birthday. I'm sitting at a kitchen table, a birthday hat perched on top of my head, the candles of my birthday cake reflect the excited glimmer in my eyes. My friends and family stand around, waiting for me to blow out the candles. As I get ready to blow out the candles and puff my cheeks with air my Dad leans in whispers in my ear, " make a wish ! " I do as I'm told and soon the backgrounder singing and cheering dims as I concentrate on making that one wish come true.
My vision shifts and a set of new images unfold. It is summer and I'm peddling fast after my dog Trixy, the wheels screeching loudly against the sun baked tarmac. My friend Amy rides along side me, her hair flying wildly around her face and her cheeks glowing bright red as she struggles to catch up. We zoom down the street two kids and a dog . Our carefree laughters echoing in the warm summer air earning the stares of amused strangers ...
... I'm standing in line with my fellow classmates and friends, waiting for the Leaving Certificate results. We all hold hands and Amy squeezes my hand, her lower lip jutting out in a way that makes me know she is about to cry. All around me there is excited chatter as people grow hysterically nervous. But all that stops when we hear the principal walking in and see her holding a small mountain of white envelopes. She begins to call out names and when I walk up to her my knees wobble and my legs feel like they are suddenly made out of jelly. She hands me over the envelope and congratulates me and shakes my hand. A mysterious smile passes across her face and she winks at me . I don't recognize the significance of that small gesture until I open the white envelope and pull out the sheet of paper sitting within it. I check my grades than my score . my mouth bangs open and a loud scream escapes it, everyone looks around in surprise. I've received a perfect six hundred points.
My vision blurs one more and this time a boy kneels in front of me. He slowly pulls out a small square box from his back pocket and opens it . In it sits a beautiful diamond ring. He looks at me with large caring eyes and asks "Will you marry me? " What I see in those eyes frightens me. It's loyalty, commitment and genuine love. I don't hesitate for a moment and whisper a small, quite "yes".
Soddenly I'm brought back to reality as I hear a knock on the door. My vision clears and once again I am faced with my own reflection in the mirror. What I see there this time makes me laugh. I watch black lines run down my face and laugh some more. Never in my life have I behaved in this manner. I almost forget about the knock, until my sister's head suddenly appears behind the now slightly open door. She sees me laughing and soon joins in. We're laughing like we never had before, until I realize that my make-up is ruined and we are running out of time. My sister sees my panicked look and gives me a hug before getting to work.
Soon I'm walking down the aisle, my Dad at my side. As I walk towards the man that I love all my previous worries fade. He looks just as nervous as I am but when he sees me , his face breaks into a huge smile and I know that my future consists of happiness, joy , contentment and most importantly Love. I've made my decision and it wasn't a hard decision to make. I 'm going to say "Yes, I do " .
