I had to pick between a huge local wedding order and my best friend's small birthday bouquet last Saturday.

I chose the wedding, hired a helper for $150 to deliver the birthday flowers, and my friend texted 'these are the most beautiful flowers I've ever gotten' which made the crazy day worth it, so has anyone else had to make a tough call between a big job and a personal promise?

3 comments

3 Comments

brookef733mo ago

My friend who runs a food truck had to choose between her sister's graduation party and a last minute catering gig for a corporate event. She took the gig, but prepped all her sister's favorite sides and dropped them off the night before. Her sister said the mac and cheese was the best part of the whole party, which totally saved her from feeling like the worst sibling ever. It's crazy how those little bits of thanks make the hard choices feel okay.

benb212mo ago

That "best part of the whole party" line really got me. I mean, it's one thing to know you made the practical choice, but it's another thing entirely to get that kind of direct confirmation that you didn't totally let someone down. I think there's a hidden layer here that nobody's mentioning, @brookef73, which is that your friend's sister probably also felt seen by those sides. Like, not only did she get mac and cheese, but she got her favorite mac and cheese, which shows your friend was thinking about her specifically while she was off working. That might have meant more than her being there physically, honestly, because it proved the choice wasn't about not caring. It's almost like the sister got a tangible reminder that she was still the priority, even if the timing was garbage.

jennifer_west523mo ago

Been there. Had to skip my niece's first birthday party because we were short-staffed for a major inventory count. Sent my brother a video message instead. He played it for her and said she kept pointing at the phone. Made sitting in a cold warehouse all weekend slightly less awful.