20 October 2011

When did we get so old?

I suppose "old" isn't quite the right word.
More like "grown up" or "far along in life."

I was home last weekend for Fall Break.
On Saturday, I went to a bridal shower.
Most of the bridal showers I have gone to up until this point in my life were for family and family friends.
Not this one, though.
No, this was for someone I met because we were in the same class in fourth grade.
She voted for me for class president and I loved her hair that was about a mile long.
Her name is Abigail, and when we were juniors in high school she started dating the guy (Josh) with whom she is going to spend the rest of her life.

We spent a lot of time talking about when they were going to get married and we were planning her wedding and asking all kinds of questions.
And then we made a rule that we wouldn't talk about it again until she had the ring on her finger.

One day last summer, we were all (our group of friends that has been together for years) going to a park to take pictures.
We met at Abbi's house to carpool, and while we were there Elyzabeth asked whether Josh had proposed yet.
"NO!" was the very quick response.
My eyes went immediately to her left ring finger.
But she had turned her ring around so I couldn't tell whether it was the promise ring that she had been wearing for a couple years or something new.

We spent a while at the park, and then went to a local ice cream shop.
"So, Elyzabeth, I lied to you earlier."
YES!! Abigail was engaged!!
We screamed and all eyes went to our tables.

We all knew that this day was coming, but even when it did, it didn't quite sink in.
Then I got a text that said "December 18, 2011. Put it on the calendar, cause that's when this girl is getting married!!!!!!!!!!!"
Yes, I still have the message on my phone. Yes, she sent it in February.
It started to get real at that point.
The rest of us started talking about dresses and dates and all that.

And we kept saying "I can't believe that we're old enough to get married."
Granted, Abbi is about six months older than any of the rest of us, and more than a year older than I am.
But still. I've known her since FOURTH GRADE!!
But, she's one of the only people our age who I think is actually ready to get married.
(Much more so than several who are already married.)

So, ask she opened gifts at the shower, I was struck by the fact that, about two months later, she'd be married.
Yes, in two months, Abigail and Josh will have been married for two days.

It's weird. In the best way possible, don't get me wrong.
But this is the girl who loved riding her scooter and had about a thousand Barbies and watched "Shrek" with me about fifty times.
She's all grown up, no longer living with her parents, and making whatever plans you make in the two months before your wedding.

I love this stage of life, and I hate this stage of life. But we're all doing it together.
And I am so thankful for that.

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