- I forgot to mention - that qipao we found for my mom? Well, we didn't buy it on the spot (hole-in-the-wall Chinese stores don't exactly have return policies). When we left the store to go to the mall, I asked her if she was sure she didn't want it. When the mall proved fruitless and we left to go home, I asked her again. She said no. Then an exit away from our house, she said she wanted it. So we went back.
- Teaching my mom more American things: "Well, in America, traditionally the mom may come with the bride to look at the dress."
- Bringing my parents with me and Darrell to put down a reservation at a Chinese restaurant. Learning to include my parents as much as possible.
- Dancing with my dad for perhaps the first time in my life in our kitchen after making zongzi to practice for a Father-Daughter dance. I think my mom teared up. My dad hummed, as I hope he will the day of the wedding. There were iPhone videos recorded.
- My mom and my future-mother-in-law texting back and forth
- Watching my mom cook mee goreng. Wondering how many more times I will be around for this.
Basically engagement is heightening a lot of emotions and things I want to reminisce about later. I want to seal a lot of these memories. My parents are excited, it feels like my dad has upped his protectiveness, my mom is sometimes giddy, I'm learning to read my future in-law's excitement. And at the same time, every 10 days Darrell and I learn about another level of the gravity of marriage. What are we saying yes to? What are we saying no to? This marriage thing takes a lot of intention, we're learning. And these six months are in anticipation for life changing forever.
