Writers 
Sometimes, you can attend an event expecting to feel like family, only to leave wondering if you were actually invited as a stranger. That was exactly how I felt at my cousin’s wedding.
I had gone for the wedding genuinely happy for him. After all, this was my cousin, someone I had known for quite some time, and seeing him finally get married was supposed to be a beautiful family moment. I was excited to attend, dress up, see everybody, take pictures, eat good food, and just enjoy the whole wedding atmosphere.
But somehow, the moment I got there, things felt different.
My cousin was so caught up with everything happening around him that it almost felt like I wasn't there. I understood that it was his big day. There were probably a million things going through his head—people to greet, photographs to take, guests to attend to, and of course, his newly wedded wife. I knew he was busy.
But still...
I couldn't help feeling a little sad.
Because out of all the people who came to celebrate with him, I expected that he would at least acknowledge me. Even if it was just a simple, “Ah, you came!” or a smile, a hug, or something that would make me feel like my presence actually mattered.
But nothing.
It was almost as if I had attended a wedding where the groom and I were complete strangers.
And sha, I'm still a small girl o. 😂 Maybe that's part of why I expected some little appreciation. I'm not saying he needed to stop everything he was doing and spend the whole day with me. No. I just wanted that small family recognition. That feeling of, “My person came to celebrate with me.”
Unfortunately, I didn't really get that from him.
What surprised me, though, was his wife.
I had only seen her about three times before the wedding, so we weren't exactly close. Yet somehow, she made me feel more welcomed than he did. She acknowledged me, appreciated my presence, and made me feel like I wasn't just another random guest standing somewhere in the crowd.
And honestly, that one touched me.
It made me realize that sometimes, the people you expect to notice you the most may be the ones who don't, while someone you barely know can make you feel seen.
I wasn't angry at my cousin. At least, I don't think I was. Maybe I was just disappointed. Maybe I expected too much because he was family.
At the end of the day, I still celebrated him. I was genuinely happy that he had found someone to share his life with, and I wished them nothing but happiness.
But sha...
Human beings.
They will be fine o. 😂
Sometimes, you just have to understand that people can be so caught up in their own moments that they forget to notice the people standing beside them.
And maybe that's life.
You can show up for someone, celebrate them, and be happy for them, even when they don't acknowledge that you came.
But one thing is certain: I noticed. And maybe next time, I'll learn not to expect too much from people—even the ones I love.