And so it was that Austin Campbell and Charlotte Foster were engaged to be wed (as of 1:00-ish in the morning on September 27th, 2016).
I’m getting married! Well, not yet, but it’s officially going to happen which in itself is incredible. Now it’s simply a waiting (and plannnnnning) game… plus saving the thousands of dollars it’s going to cost us to bring together everyone we know and love. Ah, well. It is so going to be worth it.
On a slightly unrelated note, today isn’t just another day. Though I’m sure few people realize this, today is actually Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day, which means more to me than I’m sure many of even my closest friends know. Funnily enough, I didn’t realize that PIL Remembrance Day even existed, but I’m glad that it does. There are many in the world who are blessed with infallible fertility and then there are those who aren’t – who are basically told (at an age that an age that seems ludicrous, think preteens) that they only have a certain window of time (say before they’re thirty) during which they’re just fertile enough to maybe have a child of their own. Already the pressure is on and the road ahead only gets rockier from there.
I mean, think about how that would affect a little girl. She’s basically being told that she either has to find that “someone,” settle down, and make numerous attempts to have a single child (many of which will more than likely be unsuccessful, causing further stress and other psychological issues) within a certain time frame.
Male privilege isn’t real, huh?
I know, half of the physical issues women deal with aren’t necessarily the fault of men but we live in a society built upon a patriarchal framework nonetheless. And beyond that, institutional racism and other prejudices.
happy thoughts happy thoughts
Okay.
I’m a bit of a cynic and an optimist at the same time. An eternal fence sitter and world-observer who always tries to play the safest yet most beneficial hand. I guess that would be called “calculating” in terms of a personality trait. Maybe even “methodic.”
But no, I’d like to think there isn’t a “method to the madness.” I mean, I pride myself on how random I am (especially in terms of my sense of humour).
I’ve got so much writing to do. And yet, I have so much homework to do. Gah, I love/hate school so much it’s ridiculous. I have mountains of things to get done and still somehow manage to find time to play GTAV. In other words, MEGA PROCRASTINATION ALERT. PLEASE SEND HELP. THIS IS NOT A DRILL.
Even now… Here I am, sitting at the Front Desk, writing a blog post when I should be studying for my online Law test which closes on the 19th. Bleh. In the end, I know my strengths and weaknesses and, despite the fact that I slip here and there, I’m proud to say I’ve managed this semester pretty decently so far. I’m at least still aware enough to recognize that my system needs mega-improvement but I don’t think I can even begin to describe how far I’ve come since first year.
I went from being that kid who couldn’t talk to anybody, felt worthless, lonely, belittled, and hated… to being confident, on top of most of my housework and my notes, actually studying, standing up for myself, and getting back to being who I am at heart – not giving up on my passions just because “sacrifices must be made for love.” While that is true in many circumstances, one thing that I have learned is that you should never, under any circumstances, completely forget about yourself, who you are, or who you want to be in a relationship. You have a voice too and it matters. Never let anyone make you feel as though it doesn’t. And if they do, you need to be able to step forward and make your voice heard.
It’s not easy. For me it took a number of therapy sessions and stooping to some very low lows mentally for almost a year. Terms such as “emotional abuse” and “passive suicidal thoughts” get thrown around and suddenly you feel like you’re a blind person who has just been granted the gift of sight. Rather than be affronted by this new information I embraced it and put it to use. Relationships are not perfect – they can never be – so work on it.
And don’t give up unless you’re absolutely certain of toxicity.
I couldn’t be happier with Charlotte. We have a future full of twists and turns, I’m sure, but I’m glad to be sharing them with her. People will say we’re too young – that we couldn’t possibly know who we want to spend the rest of our lives with at this point – but I don’t believe that’s true when you make an effort. When you believe, in the face of every obstacle, that resolution is possible it only serves to make you both stronger. Together.
We’re growing together. Therefore, we make mistakes and learn from them together too.
And in the end, she makes me a better person. She inspires me to be the best me I can be by challenging me and by simply being different than me in a number of ways. Of course we don’t agree on everything and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
I love her. I love us. I love me since us. And I love that I’m going to marry the person who I’ve been through just a smidgeon of hell and back with.
thatfroninja. 