Copying is really just flattery....right?!

I've been blessed with some really amazing friends. Like this one who posted this not too long ago. She also posted this and I've since been formulating my response.

As a bride-in-the-making, I've experienced so many awkward moments. I wasn't as shocked by the "when are you thinking about starting a family" question as I was by the "so.... are you a virgin?" inquiry by a lady who doesn't really know me (in my opinion) --- maybe in her mind, we're really on better terms than I realize.

But - I digress. So, as aforementioned blogger friend suggested I am posting some things I really appreciate hearing. Trust me, they're needed. Just ask my friends who've been around for the countless "she thinks I'll be a horrible bride/wife/chef/mother/sex goddess" breakdowns since Gibralter was laid to rest upon my left hand.

-- "You will make a lovely bride!" Note: lovely is the key term here as opposed to beautiful. Beautiful is reserved for pregnant women, super models (the REAL ones like Cindy Crawford) and sunsets.

-- tell me about your engagement/early months of marriage (especially if you've been married for 15+ years!). Personally, I love stories. But, I've already seen marriages crumble that I stood for. And people wonder why kids my age live together. Millennials don't like to fail. And that "D" word is failure.

-- ask me about me. Yes, as if being a bride isn't already about me me me me. But the other ME still exists. The girl who has a career, and amazing best friends, and interests in quirky history books, who goes to the library alone on Thursday nights for a Date Night with herself. I am more than a bride-and-groom pair. Don't forget about me.

-- tell our parents "what great kids we are" when I am within earshot. Even if you think it's a lie. They need to be congratulated on raising two competent, gainfully employed children. That is very rare these days. Very.