On Being Engaged

I have now been 2 weeks and 2 days ... engaged.

After 27 years of being a "single" woman, and 4 years of going out with Will, I am now engaged. Wow. The term still sounds a little foreign to me. And I still need to get familiar with referring to Will as my fiance.

I used to think that being engaged will not change anything, only the marriage will. Being engaged is just a means of letting others know that I will be getting married soon. I mean, Will and I have been going for years. We see each other every couple of days, bought a place together, I sleep over on the weekends and we have agreed that that I will not move in until we're married. I have met his parents, he has met mine, and our parents have even met each other. How would , or could, being engaged add anymore to that?

However, strange as it sounds, it does. In ways that I cannot express in words. Our relationship has strengthened, activities together seem sweeter and we are making more time for each other. Hey, I am even nagging less! I think it may be because there is now the invisible string that binds us together - and we both firmly understand our commitment to each other (although it's not really invisible, it's made visible through the beautiful sparkle on my finger, which makes me rather touched every time I look at it). Whatever it is, being engaged has successfully raised our relationship to a new level and I am quietly pleased about it.