My little sister got married last weekend to a guy she met nearly forty years ago at a church camp. They’d both married previously, and Joy was widowed two years ago. Their reunion was sweet, and we’ve all taken pleasure in their surprise discovery of love after having lost so much.

The original plan for the wedding was that it would occur in Corpus Christi, but Hurricane Harvey forced a change of venue to Austin. Though I know Joy and Jordy were disappointed, I was happy to get to spend time with Melissa and the boys in my hometown that weekend.

My toast to Joy and Jordy was about the B side of life. Anyone old enough to remember actual vinyl records and record players knows there was always a b side, and that in most cases side B was a throwaway song the record label put on as a filler for the back side of the “hit” record.

Some B sides were a total gyp because from time to time the record label would just put a remix of the A side on the other half. Most of the time it was an okay song that provided a modicum of entertainment when one got tired of the other side. Every once in a while, though, the B side actually turned out better that the “hit” side. The Beatles’ “I Am the Walrus” comes to mind, having been the B side of the number one hit “Hello, Goodbye.” Be honest, you knew exactly what I was referring to when I mentioned “Walrus,” but you had to kind of think about it when I said “Hello, Goodbye.” You get where I’m going here.

Life has an A side and B side as well. The A side is our plan or vision: Who we’ll spend our life with, what our career will be, how healthy we’ll be into old age, where we’ll live happily ever after, or even where a dream wedding will take place. Alas, as much as we may have loved the A side, sometimes our needs, interests or safety compels us to flip the record.

This is where we have a choice. We can lament the unfairness of it all and simply give up. We can try to enjoy the B side life has handed us and tolerate changes we don’t particularly embrace; or we can joyfully, enthusiastically see this new aspect of life as a new adventure, a blessing we didn’t see coming.

Joy and Jordy had already found a new life together in the B side they discovered after so many years apart. Then they accepted and eventually embraced the B side of where their lovely wedding would take place. It’s a fine lesson for us all. Enjoy your B side.