Hot Under The Collar

The day was unseasonably warm when my husband and I got married and, to make matters worse, the air conditioning in the church wasn't working. Becoming increasingly uncomfortable in my gown, I grumbled during the photo session, then endured the receiving line, cutting the cake, even opening the presents.

But when I saw the mountain of cards to open, that was it. Smiling, I said to the guests, "You'll have to excuse us, but we're very hot and need to do something about it." My face grew even hotter when I saw my husband's look and realized what I had said.

  -- Rita Fischer, Christian Reader "Rolling Down the Aisle."

Moral of the story: It's not what you say but what people hear that's important.