I saw the ring, but it did not register immediately. What am I looking for? I thought. Everyone was on the edge with tell-tale smiles. It has to be the ring, I thought. There's nothing else I'm supposed to be looking at. Rings... ring... "Oh man!" Was the only thing I could think to say as I realized what it meant, my hands grabbing my head. It was hard for me to believe it.
They had talked about it for a while, before. Everyone talks about things they want to do. Talking is free. But before, it had just been smiles and words. Darting eyes and clasped hands. Words don't mean anything. It was the idea. And then on that morning, as far as I was concerned, it became an action.
And actions are the only things with real meaning.
It took me the whole rest of the day to wrap my head around it. It was shock, I think. My friends are growing up. They're sitting at the big kids' table. It's easy for me to forget that we aren't little kids anymore. We're adults, technically. We live our own lives and make our own decisions. It's kind of scary to think about.
In a handful of months I'll be watching my friends walk down an aisle.
It's terrifying.
They had talked about it for a while, before. Everyone talks about things they want to do. Talking is free. But before, it had just been smiles and words. Darting eyes and clasped hands. Words don't mean anything. It was the idea. And then on that morning, as far as I was concerned, it became an action.
And actions are the only things with real meaning.
It took me the whole rest of the day to wrap my head around it. It was shock, I think. My friends are growing up. They're sitting at the big kids' table. It's easy for me to forget that we aren't little kids anymore. We're adults, technically. We live our own lives and make our own decisions. It's kind of scary to think about.
In a handful of months I'll be watching my friends walk down an aisle.
It's terrifying.
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