247 so far; The Part I Enjoy.

The gifts are rolling in. My gratitude is pouring out. No, seriously.

I am a thank-you note writing machine. I have it down to a fine science. Okay, so maybe I'm not that good, but I get along okay.

Everyone (well, at least a few people) ask if I'm tired of the note writing yet. Has it become tedious? Is it finally getting to be just too much?

Nope. It hasn't. Mostly.

Sure, it's overwhelming to manage all the other facets of my life and try to write genuine thank-you notes in a timely manner that aren't carbon copies of one another; however, I quite enjoy it. That's right; I think writing thank-you notes is fun. (I wasn't an English major for nothin', ya know!)

I mean, this person got me a gift or threw me a party; he or she deserves to be appropriately thanked. Besides that, I am really grateful. People have been so gracious to Hub and me. We have received generous gift cards, beautiful decorative items, gorgeous serving pieces, and all kinds of the perfectly practical things we'll be needing. We've been blessed, and that's an understatement.

So, no, I don't mind taking a minute or two to write a note thanking the giver of the gift.

Don't get me wrong; there have been plenty of times that I've not wanted to lift my pen again for fear that my hand might fall off, but that doesn't diminish the gratitude I so desperately want to express.

Maybe You Should Give it a Try

As a youngster in school, coloring is a part of who we are and how we learn. Coloring to satisfy adults is a great accomplishment. Our ability to stay inside the lines may mean the difference between taking home a happy faced paper or a frowny faced paper. It's a big deal.

As we grow older, though, we abandon coloring as a learning technique, and many of us stop coloring altogether.

Personally, I think coloring is healthy and fun and therapeutic and soothing. It's a mindless task that I can seriously concentrate on. I can let everything else melt away and focus solely on my the picture I am bringing to life, or I can color absentmindedly, unconcerned about the final product.

Coloring is no longer about impressing my teachers and making presents for my parents, so there's no more pressure, and that's the beauty of it. You may call me crazy if you want to, but I have this theory that when we return to the things we loved in childhood, the world gets a little bit better and makes a little bit more sense. When we allow ourselves to be vulnerable and loving and faithful, like a child, we are free.

So, sometimes I color to relieve stress, to think through problems, to avoid thinking entirely, to simply have fun, to focus on prayer, to meditate, to do all sorts of things that need to be done. For me, coloring is something that takes me back to being a little girl, and, sometimes, things are much clearer from her point of view.

Productivity

Today, I wrote 37 thank-you notes. That's right, THIRTY-SEVEN!

As I as writing, stuffing, licking, addressing, and stamping, Hub put stickers on 2/3 of the buckets.

We did good work today. I am proud of us.

One to Go

Exactly one month from today, Hub and I will be married. We'll go back to visit the beautiful chapel, but I'll be in a gorgeous white dress instead of a pretty white coat and he'll be in a handsome tuxedo instead of a cute button up. Then, before we even know it, it'll all be over and just beginning all at the same time.

The Nerve of It

When you and your fiance were born and raised in the same southern town boasting a population of 7,811 and the nuptials are fast approaching, a favorite question of those you love (and some you don't) is, "Well, are you getting nervous yet?"

And you don't know how to answer; I don't anyway. My automatic response is almost an involuntarily choked out, "Nope; not yet. I'm sure it'll come soon" (referring to the nervousness of course).

But, what I really want to say is, "Nervous about what? Do you mean am I nervous about moving to a city I've seen only once? Perhaps you want to know if I'm nervous about starting graduate school for a program I've only been interested in for a short period of time? Would you like to know if I'm nervous about how oil might or might not be on the beach and how I am definitely not self-centered enough to downplay the serious tragedy just to complain about how the beach might be dirty the day of my wedding? Or, oh, were you just talking about getting married?"

It's not that I don't recognize how serious of a commitment Hub and I are making; I just believe in us. I know we're young, and maybe we are too young. But, is there really the perfect age? I mean, when a person hits 24 (or some other possibly magic age) is he or she automatically ready to commit to a happy and successful and loving marriage? I don't think so, my friends.

I understand, although certainly not fully, that marriage is difficult and something to work at, but I do not and I will not fear it. I have a peace about marrying Hub. I know it's what is right.

For a while, I was asked so frequently about my level of nervousness that I actually became nervous about not being nervous. Maybe something was wrong with me; maybe I was supposed to be nervous? (You know I do have a complex about things I am supposed to do). I soon tired of worrying over my lack of nervousness about getting married, which led me to dream up this precious gem of a post. I decided that if I am the first and last bride on this earth to be totally convinced that she is doing the right thing by getting married, then so be it.