When someone announces their engagement you're supposed to say, "Congratulations!" or "I'm so happy for you!" (And if you're really feeling enthusiastic you might even say both.) But for many engagements I didn't really mean it when I said those things. What I was really feeling was jealous.
Now for anyone else who admits to being human I think you can at least understand where I was coming from. I haven't known a single person who spent more time with their single friends after getting engaged, and you might as well forget you ever knew the person after they actually get married. And on top of that every moment the two love birds are around is a pretty powerful reminder of the fact that you are still struggling through singledom. Some people can be legitimately happy for other people's happiness, but this particular situation was something I really struggled with.
And then I met Patrick. We fell in love. We got engaged. We got married. And pretty much everything in my entire life changed.
I was finally in a position to understand why engaged people acted so sappy all the time! And it made sense to me why newly weds want to spend every waking moment with each other! Because I finally understood what was happening emotionally between the couple I was no longer jealous. I was just happy for them.
The Besties- Mike, Jenni, and Brendan
And now two of my best friends have found their special someone, and I can legitimately say, "Congratulations Mike and Taeler! Congratulations Alex and Jenni! I am SO excited for you. Being married to your special sweetheart is the most wonderful thing in the whole wide world! It'll be hard sometimes, but you'll have each other to hang on to- so hang on tight! You are my best friends, and I am so happy. May you enjoy every happiness in your upcoming marriages!"
