Until You're In The Thick Of It

First off, THANK YOU to everyone who left comments...I really appreciated them! I'm seeing now that, yes, these must be Braxton-Hicks and, while they have been increasing in frequency, they still don't hurt. I will just have to be patient and wait for the "real" thing now :-)

On to the point of this post...throughout my life, I've watched friends and family experience various milestones - getting engaged, married and having children. When my sister first told me she was engaged, I think I said, "Oh...that's cool" and then switched topics (keep in mind I was only 15 when it happened). It just wasn't a huge thing to me and I feel bad about the reaction I had. But as time has moved on and I've been able to celebrate these milestones with different friends/family, I've realized something - unless you've already been through whatever milestone they are celebrating, it doesn't quite mean as much to you. Let me try and explain.

To the friends/family who got engaged/married before me, I apologize. I apologize for appearing to not be as interested in yours as you were in mine. But the thing is, because I had never been through the planning and preparing for a wedding, I had no idea how much effort was involved. Therefore, I didn't ask very many questions. I may have asked from time to time, "How's the planning going?", but I didn't ask much more than that.

My brother was next to get married after I did and I peppered his fiancee with questions - What are your colours? Have you picked out centerpieces? What about the meal? The bridesmaid dresses? The song for your first dance? Poetry readings at the ceremony? The cake? Hair up or hair doKABOOM! and then her head finally exploded because I just. would. not. shut. up.

To the friends/family who have had babies before me, I apologize. Again, I apologize for appearing to not be as interested in your pregnancy/child as you have been in mine. I'm sorry I didn't ask more often about how you're feeling, whether you were nervous, whether the room was ready and so on. Now that I'm close to the end of the pregnancy, I must say I've been flattered? at the amount of women who continue to ask how I'm feeling and a whole bunch of other questions. BUT these questions are coming from women who have had babies. The non-mom friends aren't asking. And I know it's not because they don't care. It's because they haven't been there yet.

Now that I'm aware of this, I'll do my best to ask more appropriate questions and be more interested in my friends/family anniversary milestones, grandchildren and retirements. I was going to add 'funerals' to the list, but that's a tough thing to reciprocate interest in. Well, until you all get to heaven and can talk about it up there, anyways.