Issue link: http://www.wacmagazine.com/i/1356079
APRIL / MAY / JUNE 2021 31 bring money as a gi. So the bigger the wedding, the more money the couple gets! Here in America, every guest costs you more money! What's more, in America the bride's family traditional- ly pays for the wedding. I couldn't tell my parents that because in China the groom's family pays. So to keep the pride of my parents, my fiancé and I are pay- ing for both weddings! Romantic, right? Aer a lot of scrambling and stress, by the end of February 2020, we had booked photographers, caterers, and guest lodging. We even had the Chinese wedding planned. Invitations were ready to go. en, of course, came COVID. My wedding dress has been hanging in my closet for more than a year. I don't know about you, but aer a Seattle winter I don't think I can fit into that dress anymore. If you see me in a WAC fitness class anytime soon, say hi. I need all the motivation I can get! With any luck, our Seattle wedding will still take place on the last Saturday of September, a year later than we expected! As for the version in China, we're still waiting for travel restrictions to ease. BERNICE YE Comedian, Bride to Be A notification popped up on my phone this past January: "A year ago today…" It shows photos of me and my girl- friends doing a champagne toast at a bridal shop in Ballard aer I said "yes to the dress." My fiancé and I got engaged in December 2019 and decided that 2020 was our year. We just wanted to get married before I'm 40 and he's 50 … you know! ings seemed to be going so well, too. We found our ideal venue and secured a late September date. Our wedding was also why I joined the WAC—time to get in shape and look my best! I forgot to mention, I'm originally from China and my entire family is still there. My fiancé's family lives in South Carolina. So we are having not one, but TWO weddings—an American one, in Seattle, and a Chinese one in my hometown of Wuhan, the city now forever associated with COVID-19. In a Chinese wedding, all the guests I'll admit, my off-season report card would not show an A+ in all areas. But I found a silver lining among it all, which was a strengthening of my ability to adapt, to look in the mirror and ask: Am I tough enough? Humble enough? Can I make do with the cards that I'm dealt? Am I lacking intrinsic motivations? Am I sustaining healthy habits? ese questions are pertinent to so many of us, athlete or not. Most importantly to me, during the pandemic my wife and I were blessed with a healthy and beautiful baby girl (our first), who helped us gain a new and profound outlook on life. Looking back, I'm thankful to have had the opportunity to compete in 2020, even if that compe- tition was cut short. I'm also grateful for the chance to compete again in 2021, for my family's health, and for a job. Losing a season is hard, but so many have lost so much more. I think it's important for all of us to take that into perspective. —At press time, the Seattle Seawolves were slated to begin the 2021 season on March 20. e team's home opener was set for May 2 at Starfire Sports in Tukwila. Learn more at seattleseawolves.com. C O U R T E S Y P H O T O S Our wedding was also why I joined the WAC—time to get in shape and look my best!" "