Blessed

Today was my final wedding shower. I say "final" because I've had three. I know, three showers. It's a lot. Most of my extended family lives in the Chicago area, so we had a shower there for all the relatives who won't be coming to the wedding. Then my church had a shower for me and another June bride. And today, Zeke's family had a shower for me.

Whew! Lots of gifts, lots of hugs, and lots of thank you notes to write.

While every shower has been a little different, with different guests and different color schemes, different food and different games, I always have one conclusion afterwards. I am so blessed. So blessed to be given so many wonderful gifts, yes, but that's not the important thing. I'm blessed with so many people who care about me and who care about Zeke. People who want to see us flourish as a couple, start a family, grow in our faiths, and want to support us in everything we do.

So many brides today, at least on the reality shows and in magazines, think that their wedding is all about them. In some ways, I think that's true. I think that a wedding should reflect your tastes and interests, and not every decision should be influenced by what everyone else thinks. Because really, there's no way to make everyone happy.

At the same time, a wedding should not be all about you. Focusing on yourself, especially during the crazy planning process, won't do anything but make you stressed and angry. Look around and see everyone who loves you. I think that's the key. All the work I'm doing, all the stress and organizing and planning, it's not just for me.  I'm doing all this so that other people, the people who love us, can celebrate in our joy with us. Can share in our happy time.

And I've been so, so blessed.