You know, I will never understand the audacity some people have. While I’m the kind of person who respects the decisions and choices of other people around me, I’ve learned recently that a lot of people love to enforce their opinions on others.
Opinions that include who I should invite to my own wedding.
As if the task wasn’t hard enough, and we’ve had to balance both sides of the family with friends while keeping in mind that we only have space for 100 people, I’ve been informed that one of my older distant family member is trying to guilt me into inviting a younger relative of hers.
The older woman is going so far as to say she will not show up unless she gets to come with her relative.
The reason? That relative absolutely loves weddings since she was a child. And since she has such a critical eye for such events and goes back to her family and reports on the proceedings in such detail that everyone would feel like they were there.
Yes, you read that right. Not because she’s happy for me or even remotely cares about me or Ahmad, but just because she enjoys the spectacle. Well, sweetheart, if you want a show, just go ahead and turn on the TV or Youtube.
The last time I spoke to that girl was around 2 years ago, at another family wedding actually. I spent the whole night on the dance floor while she just observed everything from a distance. She didn’t even get up to greet the couple and left just moments after the cake was cut.
I do not want that kind of people at our wedding.
Also, please bear in mind that I’ve snubbed two “close friends” because we don’t talk anymore and I don’t feel like they actually care about me. So I’m definitely not going to re-consider a very distant family member.
Yet, the older woman is using every dirty trick in the book, trying to make me come off like the bad person in the situation. She’s complained loudly to some of my direct family members that I am not being mindful of traditions and that I should’ve accounted for the younger relative from the get-go.
And then there’s the threat not showing up entirely.
Really? I’m the bad person here?
Look, if it means that I won’t get invited to her wedding when the time comes, then so be it. I won’t lose sleep over it. And if it means that the older lady won’t show up, it will not be the end of the world. She’s only invited because I absolutely have to account for her.
So once again, we come back to the main point I’m trying to make: if you’re not truly happy for me that I’m getting married, please don’t bother me with your silly opinions and what you think is right. No matter what you do or who you try to talk to, you can’t decide who I should invite and who to dismiss.
Try not to get all bummed out about it, okay?
Beyond Beirut 
It’s your wedding. Just remember that you can please some of the people some of the time but you can’t please all of the people all of the time. I always keep the saying in mind when working on guest lists. That way I don’t get my knickers in a knot when one or two ‘pretend’ to be offended when they don’t get an invite.