Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Yup...It's going down!

I can't believe it's happening. I'm jumping the broom!!! For those unfamiliar with jumping the broom, it's a Black American tradition. From what I've learned, Black people were not allowed to legally marry during slavery, so as a symbol of love, fidelity, and commitment, they recognized their nuptials by jumping over a broom. I've also been told that jumping the broom symbolizes the sweeping away of the old in preparation for the new life that the couple will build with each other.

So...I'm jumping the broom. Metaphorically anyway; the verdict is still out on whether we'll actually incorporate it in our ceremony. I'm still wrapping my mind around having a forreal, forreal wedding. Never really desired one. I've always liked weddings and wedding blogs, just never thought I'd end up participating in the wedding madness myself. My fiance' convinced me by using the following: "This is really our last chance to get all of the people that we love in the same room at the same time. Let's go for it!" So I went from a cool dinner party at a swanky restaurant vision of a wedding to a 7 bridesmaids, downtown DC, 100+ guest event. Pray for me. I'm already feeling anxious about being the center of all of that attention. And while the future hubby is exciting about celebrating our big day, he slowly learned that the day is really about the bride. We just returned from a wedding (Whew! That's a story for another day.), and let's just say that the groom was a nice accessory because, honey, the day was all about her.

A little about us. I'm a former high school teacher turned full-time doctoral student who is planning a wedding while simultaneously writing a dissertation. The future hubby is an assistant principal. Yup, two educators. We keep our "shop talk" to a minimum (conversation have gotten UGLY in the past, but I've started swaying him my way :-)). We met on an online dating site during my first year of graduate school (That's another story for another day as well). We like to have lots of fun. And though he claims to be a homebody, he always finds something for us to get into. Whether we're zip-lining in Costa Rica or having burgers at Red Robin, it's always an adventure. He has been my rock, and I have been his. I'm looking forward to the journey of marriage and hoping to survive the journey of wedding planning.


Costa Rican rainforest zip-lining, July 2010

Enough about us (for today anyway). While I'm excited about my "big day," this blog won't just be about my wedding. It will be about life and trying to hold all the pieces together. It will be about the profound and the shallow. It will be a space to release. So many things in my life are changing (new mate, new home, finishing school, new career), and I'd like to look back and see what I saw in the moment once I'm over the hump (and facing the next one). So strap in, and let's enjoy this ride.


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