4 Reasons Why I Am Excited About Marriage
Last week I wrote about my main fears regarding getting married in less than a month. As the big day gets closer and closer, I am constantly asked by coworkers, friends, and strangers, “How do you feel?”. Every time that I am asked that question, I pause to think about the best answer to give them. At any given time during our wedding planning process, I could be nervous, overwhelmed, excited, frustrated, disappointed, happy, or numb. However, my response is always, “I am ready”.
As emotional as this process has been, I truly am ready and excited for this new life step.
I would be lying if I were to say that I am not anxious; however, my excitement far outweighs my nervousness.
There are a few reasons why I am excited. All of my reasons revolve around me knowing that I am marrying my best friend. Amanda and I have been dating for six years. We have been in long distance relationship for half of that time, we were friends before we started dating, we have never lived together, we have never slept together, and we still have date nights. As much fun as we have had over the years, I know there is so much more to come! Here are four reasons why I am excited to be a married man. Of course these are not the only reasons, but they are near the top.
1. Reason number one for why I am excited about marriage is for the opportunity to love one person as my wife.
I have used plenty of nicknames for Amanda over the past 6 years of our relationship such as girlfriend, teammate, best friend, fiancé, babe, love, and various animals and desserts, but I have never called her my wife. I do not know what it is, but there is something powerful about coming together as one and spending our lives with the life goal of loving and encouraging one another as a husband and wife team.
A coworker recently asked me about how I knew that I wanted to marry Amanda. And my answer was simple. Amanda is my best friend and makes my life easier. Something that was advantageous for us as a couple was that we were friends for a few years before we started dating. I selfishly put a ring on it because we connected in a way that was not only about love…but about companionship.
2. Reason number two for why I am excited about marriage is to create new family traditions.
I love my family a lot. I also love Amanda’s family for raising her the way she was raised. Marriage will allow us the space to create, launch, grow, and learn as a new family.
This past Christmas we joked about (but are still seriously considering) spending our first Christmas as a married couple with each other at home. No traveling. No in laws. Just the two of us. Why? Because we are our own family and can do that. Not in a despising way of course but the choice is ours to make. We will have the opportunity to find our identity as a married team and spend the rest of our lives winning.
Side note: One of my goals for our first year of marriage is to teach Amanda how to play spades so that we can take everybody down as an unstoppable pair!
3. Reason number three for why I am excited about marriage is to have somebody to come home to.
As I said earlier, Amanda and I have never lived together. This has led to the difficulty of bouncing around from house to house since signing two apartment leases did not make any sense. Airbnb and church friends have made this living transition easier (except for that one time I found out that one of my Airbnb roommates turned out to be a drug addict, ‘shrooms connoisseur, and an avid knife collector). However, it will be nice to finally be able to unpack all my clothes for the first time in nine months in our home.
Living out of a box
We will be able to travel without trying to find separate accommodations, I will no longer have to dread the 30 minute drive from Amanda’s apartment to my current living space, and Amazon will no longer question why I have changed my shipping address so many times in the past year.
4. Reason number four for why I am excited about marriage is for achieving our goals together.
As a husband and wife team, we will be forced to be completely open and vulnerable with each other. Our lives will be an open book in which the author is combining our stories. Our last name will be the same, our finances will be combined, her dreams will become my dreams, and my victories will be her victories.
Also, I will cry with her pain, she will encourage me when I am lost, our debts will discipline us, and my tv binge watching will most likely be frowned upon…but our goals will still be the same. Our goal as a married couple is, and will always be to push one another to be a better man and woman serving the Lord to the best of our abilities.
Our companionship is comforting but it can be missional as well.
Photo by Sharea Mae Photography
What are some things that you looking forward to in marriage?
If you are married, what are some things you do to keep marriage exciting?
Tags: black love, engaged, marriage, relationships