19 days to go….
 
Yes, the countdown is well and truly on.  And not just from me; it goes from niblings in Irvine to surrogate ones in Telzstone; from Justin to Yudi Meir, little kids around the world are counting the days to the most awesome day of our lives – our wedding.
 
Yes of course I'm still anxious!!! It's me we're talking about here, but simultaneously I have such a sense of gladness in my heart; a slightly-neurotic skip in my step as I shuffle to work listening to Shlomo Katz (our band leader) sing songs that he may be using 19 days from now, as I prance around in my meringue dress.  I do wonder a little what passers-by think, but could hardly care less.
 
It's been for me, a long engagement.  Daniel has Baruch Hashem, taken the whole thing in his stride and been a rock; really, there's no other way of describing his behavior throughout.  True, he's engaged in the arguments, but on the whole pretty calmly.  The last few weeks I've relaxed more but still any mention of flowers or kippot sizes sends me out into hives.
 
Because for me it's not about that.  Sure, I'm looking forward to squeezing into my 6,000 nis pearly dress and seeing my adoring friends and family smile the largest smiles they've ever smiled, but the little details just don't do it for me.  Such matters never have, and I pray, never will.  Because details are what add to a man's craziness and, quite frankly, I have enough of that going on without giving it more steam!
 
Daniel and I have had a wonderful few weeks, Baruch Hashem.  The magic and miracle of Purim showered us with light with so many wonderful things: our "Pooh-R-Im" costumes, being the first time as a family (Daniel, me and Gal), we dressed up and delivered mishloach manot together.  And that's what got me thinking and caused such excitement: a family; a new start; the beginning of something wonderful and strong and mine, no, ours.  We even went to sheva brachot over the three day chag and quite frankly, I was overcome with happiness and joy for the couple, as I sat there next to my ever-smiling Chatan who just made me giggle the whole night.
 
So the details: the food we choose; the flowers I hold; the size of the kippot?  Nah, not important to me; doesn't do it.  What really did it though and what really brought home the tremendous place we're about to G-d willing enter into, was what happened yesterday, in Geula.
 
There we were, standing in "Klein" gold shop, looking at rings.  Daniel tried on a wedding band and as I tried stroking his arm to express my affection and joy and he looked at me in that coy way of his and asked, feigning shock, "In Geula?  I'm shomer negiya," the vision of him wearing a ring, showing the rest of the world he's mine, he's with me, he's gonna be my husband, partner and family member iy"H forever, really moved me.  Now that's not a detail; that's the whole picture; that ring signifies, G-d-willing the rest of our lives together and I felt so very proud.
 
Thank you Daniel.

Emma