Lavish Rebellion [DOT COM]

My friend’s engaged. My thoughts? “Finally!” “I knew it!”. “Duh!”

See, this friend of mine, I’ve known for about 5 years or so (gosh, it was only yesterday, I was a sophomore in college), and out of my small crew of gal pals, she was always the most invested and willing to try again in relationships.  And yes, right now, I am making Sex and The City comparisons, I’m finding her to be very Charlotte right now.

I’ve been waiting for this day to happen, and I even predicted this happening because it just seemed right this time. I’ve met a boyfriend or two of hers in the past, and from some of the bullshit she had put with before and the ones that didn’t appreciate her Southern belle qualities, I think a part of me just had to believe this would be the one.  I had good vibes this time around.  All-American, protective of his lady but not overbearing. I don’t like to use the term “All-American” because it seems to conjure some kind of segregation that doesn’t include those that do fit a physical quota, but when I say “All-American” it regards to a guy, I’m thinking of strength and vulnerability. Whenever I saw him with my friend, and his commitment to her even when she temporarily lived in New York and New Jersey, this was all I saw in him, which made me happy.

Naturally, they’re had their differences, much of it made during the early stages of their relationship. Issues of trust and the like, but that really came from a place of after all these years of partying in the clubs and bars, flings with people you knew wasn’t going to go anywhere, the occasional disillusionment with love and relationships in general reappeared like an uninvited groundhog during what feels like a permanent December. Because we’ve been let down so many times before, when we’ve got something special, it’s like we want to beat disappointment to the punch and get the ugly or hard truth out in the open before feelings really get pummeled. How many times can one possibly go through a break-up only to try again? Nevermind trying to find groupie love in the club. You’ve resorted to trying to find some hope in the club, the grocery store, that random walk in the store, maybe even while waiting for the train.

I received the great news text a little after 9:00 in the morning, and when I saw her name, there no message yet, which meant she had sent me a picture and I had to click on her name to see it.  I had no idea but when I saw the ring and simultaneously read her besotted caption, I nodded my head beside my pillow with a knowing smile. I’ve got a wedding to look forward to.

I truly wondered what this feels like.  Is it something you feel coming or does it always feel like an out of the blue experience. To see her engaged also revealed flashbacks of when we were girls about town, living life and hoping to have a good guy to claim as our own. It’s very sentimental, very cheese-tastic, but it’s true. I’m very aware of former classmates of mine that are engaged, already married, and with kids, but this is the first time this is all happening to a friend of mine.

Now of course I made the mistake of writing this while finishing watching Sweet Home Alabama, so I’m a bit teary-eyed and will proceed to recollect and think about more important things such as will this be a winter wedding, or spring one? Will the bridesmaids wear pink? What is yours truly going to wear?

If you haven’t guessed already that I’ll be living vicariously through my friend’s wedding experience, I unabashedly am because these aspects of life are way too beautiful to be so nonchalant about, even if and shouldn’t isn’t for once all about you. Looks like we can still find love in all of the right places, and as the heaves above wish upon us, when we least expect it. How convenient.