Creative Invitation

Gar received the most special, creative invitation to Cotillion (which he enthusiastically accepted!).  Gar has loved boating and fishing from the time he was old enough to participate.  I can't think of a more fitting way to invite him to a most special event than "commissioning" the S.S. Cotillion.

Outrageously Delicious

I am blessed to be surrounded by accomplished family and commercial chefs.  Fortunately, I have an ability to moderate expectations.  My family chefs (Mama, Edgar, Julia and Gar) consistently delight the palate with their creative concoctions, prepared with love.  And since we are foodies, we are always seeking the "best of category" from commercial chefs. 

Ambience is a bonus, though not required to earn high marks from our discriminating crew.  Though we've eaten at many of the world's most acclaimed restaurants, many of our most memorable, outrageously delicious meals have been prepared with love by our family chefs.

Seeing Familiar Things with Fresh Eyes

For over twenty-five years we've attended the opening debutante ball of the season.  It's always an elegant party filled with energy and excitement.  The honorees are beautiful and glowing in their exquisite gowns. The fathers are handsome in their tails and bursting with pride as they present their angels to a packed ballroom.  Some years are more personally special than others depending upon our relationship to any of the debs of the season.  But it's always a remarkable party with floral designs that continue to amaze and delight.

Everything changes when you are an honoree family.  You see things that you never experience as an ordinary attendee. There's an unspoken but palpable bond among the mothers of the honorees.  As each young woman is presented, the other mothers share supportive glances and subtle gestures of acknowledgement.  So much can be positively communicated without saying a word.

You get to see very personally how lovely friends, acquaintances and even unmet friends are when your daughter is one in the spotlight.  You are acutely aware of the poise and enthusiasm of each honoree as you have the chance to observe individual and group dynamics during rehearsal and as they dress at the club for this extraordinary evening.

As with many things, there's so much more to glean when you change your view of a situation.

Special Occasions

Special occasions take on a life of their own.  We create wonderful, lifetime memories when we overlay them into our normally crazy, hectic schedules.  This weekend is the first of our daughter's three debutante presentation balls.  Everyone's wardrobe is ready and final appointments are scheduled. Julia's and my parents' flights arrived on-time.  It's showtime!

Though every day is filled with memorable moments, special occasions create memories the whole family can share.

I'd Love to Be Invited For...

Some of us obsess about invitations. The least favorite part of my job is trying to find willing participants for worthwhile, but perhaps misunderstood, charity events.

We always want everyone to feel special. And we never want anyone to feel that they've been excluded. Further, we don't want anyone to feel merely obligated to accept an invitation. How awesome would it be if we could candidly express our interests?

An employee might say, I'd love to represent us at events for ..., but really don't enjoy/appreciate events for... and am generally available on ... from... to ...

A customer might say, I love being included, but really have an interest in..., or I would be there in an instant if I didn't have a conflict, or am delighted that Sterling is engaged in the community, but I choose not to participate in after-hours events.

Personally, I love dinner parties, galas, debutante balls, dinner dances, luncheons, plays and movies.

Who Says These Events are Special?

We can get so engrossed in our own experiences that we don't realize that everyone else doesn't view special occasions the same way we do. It was helpful for me to view a pending ball from two different perspectives.

My view:
Exclusive event
Awesome once in a lifetime experience for the honorees
Fabulous party
Great band
Exquisitely decorated venue
Fun people (friends and chance to meet new ones)
Yummy food
Super friending
What we do!

Another perspective:
Don't like big events
Dressing up isn't my thing
Crowds are stressful
What would I wear?
Strangers aren't friends unmet; they are strangers
I'm out of my element
I congratulate you, but don't want to be at a formal event

Similar differences in perspective will exist when parties are not equally interested in a particular sport, music, drama, film, festival or cause.
May we all find the daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, annual and once-in-a-lifetime events that help us soar!