It's mine!

So as I begin to share with people the date of my wedding, I get a mixed bag of reactions.  If I say I'm getting married on the 11th of September sometimes it doesn't click that almost 9 years ago something terrible occurred.  If I say I am getting married on September 11th, I usually get a pity look and an "Oh, that's nice."

Yes, I remember that day too.  I remember being in downtown Chicago for graduate school, waiting for Human Behavior in the Social Environment to start and hearing gasps from a classroom.  I remember walking in the room just as the second plane hit the tower.  I remember watching Michigan Avenue shut down and become silent.  I was shocked and scared and overwhelmed.  All that I knew, had changed.

But, I also remember March 17th, the day my dearest friends mom died.  September 28, the day my grandfather died.  And a myriad of other dates that have historic significance, maybe not to the world, but to me.

So from this day forward, I am claiming September 11, 2010 as MY wedding day.  It will be the day that I marry the most amazing and loving man.  The day I finally get to wear that pretty white dress and walk down an aisle on my dad's arm.  It will be the day I become a step-mom. It will be the first day that I will be called Mrs. Michael Smith.  It will be my best day.

  

Will I ever forget what our country went through on that date?  No.  Where I was?  No.  Who I was with? No. 

Instead, from 9/11/10 and forward I will have many happy memories flooding my mind with moments from my special day.  And I will be happy.  Very happy.

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So,  one more tidbit of wedding day excitement...we secured a venue!  We will be getting married at the Matthews House in Cary, NC.  It is a beautiful little southern home that we are renting for the weekend.  We will have the wedding outside, pending rain or extreme heat and the reception will be in the ballroom behind the house.  It is absolutely perfect!