One of the Guys

Last night SB and I went to the wedding of an old friend of his from college. The couple was adorably happy and down to earth. It was all very sweet. We knew a handful of people at the wedding, and it was fun to catch up with them, most of whom live out of town. And then came a time where we had to choose between staying and heading to a bar for SB to join a bachelor party of his best pals. It was a hard call, but we decided to go to the bachelor party, with me as SB's ride and hope of my being accepted into the party so I wouldn't have to drive home and back again later to pick up my man.

When we got to the bar, the guys were happy to see me and I felt immediately included. One friend who we don't know as well and wasn't invited to the wedding, came up and gave me a hug and congratulated me as soon as I walked into the bar. And several of them complimented me on my new haircut and the dress that I was wearing. It was so sweet. And while the guys spent most of the night drinking and playing foosball, each took time to tell SB and I how touched they were by our wedding ceremony and reception. These guys couldn't wait to tell us about how inspired they were by the homily at our wedding and how choked up they got by the whole thing. It was special.

And for all of the times that I've felt like an outsider in SB's tightly-knit pack of friends, I felt like one of them, among the guys playing foosball and generously ordering rounds of beers, sharing with me their intimate thoughts and feelings. We talked with the groom-to-be about how excited he and his bride are to start a family right away, and he was so enthusiastic about the fact that we shared their value of rituals like marriage and that we, too, want to have a family (though not as soon as he is planning to start his own!). And the whole experience made me feel so lucky to have this group of people with whom I will get to grow up, raise a family, and celebrate milestones all together.

Many days I wish that we had fewer commitments so that we could spend a weekend at home, just SB and I. But friends and family are such a blessing, and will only grow in importance as we get older.