Always The Bridesmaid...

Little Landmines In The Inbox

Every weekend it's the same story:

Ruby Sue Jones and Johnny Smith are pleased to announce their engagement. The bride to be is a 1995 graduate of JFK High School in Philadelphia, PA. She has a degree in Engineering from Purdue University. Ruby Sue works as an Electrical Engineer for AlphaForce INC. based in West Chester. Johnny is a 1994 graduate of Washington Prep in Haverford, MA. He has a degree in Anthropology from the University of Kentucky. Johnny is a curator at the Natural History Museum of Northern Kentucky in Newport. The couple will make their home in Hyde Park after a June wedding.

It never fails: I open the Sunday paper and I'm reminded that someone I know/went to school with/dated/hated gets married. Staring at me in black and white in the local rag, I am reminded that I am not keeping up with the Joneses. Or the Smiths. Or the Krysznewskis.

I don't mind weddings. I quite like them, in fact. I'll be in my third wedding next Fall, and I'm honestly really looking forward to it. I know I'm going to be talking about weddings when I see my engaged friends, and I don't mind that. It's expected. It's anticipated. It's enjoyed.

But sometimes a friend's marriage can catch you off guard.

Just this morning, I opened my Yahoo! inbox and discovered that not one, but two friends are celebrating their respective marriages. One friend of mine sent me an email about his engagement a week or two ago. I was a bit surprised when I noticed the wedding pictures in an email this morning. Scrolling down the inbox, I found another email from a dear friend in Colorado (whom I regret I haven't caught up with in a few months) who sent well wishes and the announcement that she was remarried, too.

I am filled with genuine happiness for these old pals. They're two great people and they both showed me that being single can be tons of fun, but their news leads me to wonder whether I'm the only one who is going to miss out on the train to Nuptialsville.

Sometimes the shock and awe is a little more subtle.

Flipping through the pages of Shape, I'll find a workout for brides. This past weekend Martha had an interesting idea in the paper for wedding cakes. Those moments are little landmines that lead me to stare longingly at my left hand.

A few weeks ago I met a man with an unusual confession. In our first conversation, he almost immediately offered that he wants to get married and have kids. It was a great occasion that made me realize I'm not the only one wandering around with this yearning in my heart.

Maybe someday I'll be matched up with my single soul mate.