Worth The Wait

There has been something on my mind for a while now that I want to share with you all.

You know how you can complain about your family but the second someone else does you're just like "Oh no... I'm sorry... You shut your face."

Well for the past year I have been hinting (if you can call it that) and teasing Austin relentlessly about getting married and how it's about time for him to propose and "Oh we're on a ferris wheel and you forgot the ring again." kind of jokes. But when other people say "It's about time." or "Took him long enough." well... I'm sorry. Shut your face.

I grew up in a family where my grandmom was married at 16, my mom at 19, and my sister at 20. So when Austin and I started dating I just assumed one or two years in you get married. It's the next step. That's just what you do. And I was a real brat about it. I would get seriously upset and offended when Austin would say "We're not ready yet." thinking he didn't take us seriously.

I cannot tell you how thankful I am that he was wise enough to know, we really truly were not ready. If we had gotten married years ago... It would have been a disaster. This goes for both of us but mostly me I think. We were selfish, still a little rebellious and angry at the world, emotional, and very, VERY, immature.

I have confidence that we are 100% ready for marriage at this point in our lives. We have both grown up and matured a lot. We have been through unspeakable situations together and come out stronger and wiser. I used to just leave when we would get in fights. Now we rarely even argue because we already know each other so well, and we respect and value each others opinions. Not to say I think we won't ever fight after we're married because of course we will. But we know how to handle each other and talk to each other. And most importantly, we know how to forgive each other.

Another reason I'm glad we waited over four years. I know people have waited longer than us, been farther apart than us, or just had it worse than us. But that doesn't mean that it hasn't seemed like I've waited an eternity for this. I thought we would never get married. If you've seen our proposal pictures than you know by the look on my face that I had no idea it was coming. It took me a week to stop shaking with excitement and for my heart to stop racing. For this reason, I will never take my marriage for granted. I will never think we got married just because "it's what people do" or "it's the next step." Marriage is a privilege and a gift that I will never stop being grateful for. I could not appreciate my fiance' and everything he does for me more if I tried.

And one more reason... You never stop learning. Sometimes I still forget he hates coconut even after all these years. We've been close friends for almost 7 years now. And hanging out with the same group of friends even longer. He just told me a story this past weekend that I had never heard before. I'm stilling learning new things about him all the time. I am comforted in the fact that I know who my fiance' is... I know this mans heart and he knows mine. But there are still mysteries to be uncovered and adventures to be had.

I don't have a sliver of doubt in my mind or a nervous bone in my body.

Where as if we had gotten married when I and the world thought we should have years ago. We would be damaged and hurt, and maybe never even learned to love each other the way we do now. So next time I say to my man "It sure took you long enough!" that's just my pride speaking. Because he was right, and I was wrong, and I'm more than ready to admit that.