I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw the photo pop up in the family group chat. My mother-in-law, Doreen, stood beaming in a wedding dress — full veil, bouquet, the works. I nearly dropped my phone. At 70, she was planning to get married? And to someone she’d only met a few months ago at the nursing home? Was this some sort of late-life crisis?

“Can you believe this?” I muttered to my husband, Jake, holding the phone out to him.

He glanced at the screen and shrugged. “Good for her.”

“Good for her?” I repeated, incredulous. “She’s 70, Jake. Seventy! Isn’t this a little…ridiculous? And where’s all this wedding money coming from? Shouldn’t she be saving for the grandkids?”

Jake frowned but didn’t reply, returning his attention to the game he was watching. That only fueled my irritation.

The next morning, I was still fuming as I scrolled through the chat. More pictures of Doreen and her fiancé, Frank, filled the feed. They were holding hands, laughing, and even trying on matching sneakers at what looked like a mall.

I couldn’t shake the thought that this was absurd. A wedding? At her age? It felt… indulgent. Shouldn’t she be focusing on her health or spending time with the family instead of prancing around in a wedding dress?

I decided to vent to my sister, Carla.

“Can you believe Doreen’s getting married at 70?” I huffed, pacing the kitchen while on the phone. “She’s throwing some big wedding too! She could’ve just done something small if she had to, but no, it’s gotta be a whole event.”

“Why are you so worked up about this?” Carla asked. “Honestly, I think it’s kind of sweet. Everyone deserves to be happy, no matter their age.”

“Sweet?” I scoffed. “It’s embarrassing! Imagine her walking down the aisle in a puffed-up white dress like some 20-something bride. It’s cringeworthy!”

Carla sighed. “Or maybe it’s brave. Do you know how many people her age stop living and just exist? If she’s found someone who makes her happy, why shouldn’t she celebrate?”

Her words stopped me in my tracks, but I wasn’t ready to give up my indignation just yet.

Later that week, Jake asked me to accompany him to Doreen’s nursing home. They were holding a small engagement celebration, and he wanted me there. I reluctantly agreed, already picturing the cringe-worthy speeches and Doreen’s over-the-top excitement.