Solange got married and it was EPIC!
Solange Knowles, younger sister to Beyonce, was married this past weekend. She's a striking young woman who has a style that is very uniquely her own. I love that uniqueness about her. Where her sister is more sleek and glamorous in her public style... Solange is more bohemian, more laid back and more ... well, BLACK in hers.
At the ripe old age of 28 (ha!) Solange has stepped into her own sense of self it seems. And it has been wonderful to witness from afar. When the girls were younger and Beyonce was the star of Destiny's Child and then an amazing solo star... I felt badly at times that her younger sister was somewhat stuck in her shadow. It seemed unfair. And yet, I know that this is how things go for siblings. (At least that's what I've heard... I grew up an only child... our issues are drastically different)
When I was 28... I decided to stop wearing my hair permed and curled and opted to cut it short and wear it natural. And for the most part, I've been rocking my natural short hair for the past 17 years without fail. But where Solange has eclipsed me is in her strong sense of fashion... and her ability (it appears) to become an icon of her own without copying anyone else's style or forcing herself to fit into whatever the mainstream fascination is at the moment. For example, I've never seen her in a body-con dress even though nearly all female celebrities wear them these days.
Solange does her own thing.
I love that. That freedom to do what she pleases is incredibly empowering. I hope that people are
noticing this. Especially young girls and young women.
But back to her wedding... She was a stunning bride. In a cape! And that cape, along with the jumpsuit she wore to the wedding gave me LIFE!
I believe that she and her new husband have dated for a couple of years. He is significantly older than she. However, when you see pictures of them together, they seem to simply fit together really well. You cannot see much of a difference between them. There is, instead, this wordless kinship that draws them together and you can almost feel that they truly "get" each other.
When I saw my first glimpses of her wedding photos... I gasped. Literally. A small happy sigh lifted from my mouth. Let me tell you why...
I'm HOOKED on wedding dress shows
Because I've worn my hair super short for so long, I gave just a little thought to how I would wear my hair on my wedding day. I mean, when you don't have much hair... wearing a veil becomes an issue. As does a flower or any other type of adornment. So, what does a bald bride do? I honestly don't know. I'm not planning to be married any time soon -- nobody has proposed anything over here at all -- but seeing such an unconventional bride gave me just a bit more freedom to think outside the box.
Each dress, each wedding is a story.
A love story. A family story. In some situations, a story of triumph (cancer survivor stories always make me cry) or a story of perseverance (stories of brides who have been married for many years but never had a wedding also make me cry). Its just beautiful to witness women stepping into that moment of glory. Fully embracing their femininity. Trying to be the most beautiful vision that they can be for their groom. Fulfilling a lifetime desire to just have her day with her guy. Its touching to me.
That good love
I've got that kind of love now. I did not think it would be possible but it is. And it is so good. I feel myself growing, settling down in my spirit... becoming more me. I didn't think that a relationship could do that for me and yet I feel the growth. If we ever do decide to get married, I can tell you for sure... that wedding might not be like anything you've ever seen before. I don't think we'll ride bicycles to the ceremony... but we will definitely do something that is very much "us"... 'cause watching Solange do it her way reminded me that this world is mine to craft. I don't have to fit anybody else's definition of anything, unless I choose to.
This life after breast cancer continues to unfold for me in wonderful ways. I learn more and more about myself every day. I take lessons from the world around me. It is good. One more day... and I am still very grateful to be here. Tomorrow isn't promised. But today will be grand.
