Cautiously excited

When you plan something, you kind of create your own expectations of how things are going to work. What you're going to wear. What you're going to pack. What you're going to do. All the small things.

Then plans change. When plans change, the first emotion is disappointment. Then you get frustrated at yourself for getting disappointed. Then you get frustrated for getting frustrated. And when you finally figure out what the source of your problem might be, you've already infected the people around you.

When you phoned, you gave me a fright. You spoke with tears in your eyes. Your voice breaking. The bad news having an effect on you, which affected me. I had no words. I didn't know how to make it better for you.

Then all our plans changed and changed again.

Originally we would have stayed a while, then go home and visit there. Now we're going to make a short stop - lunching with mom and telling dad that you're stealing his daughter for a while. Then we're spending time with your family. A shock I didn't see coming.

I wasn't prepared to meet your folks this soon. And I never dreamed that it would be under these unfortunate circumstances. But all this is our first real challenge.

We've been challenged before and so far we've made it through the small things. This time the challenge is way bigger, with way more sub-challenges.

So I've been through quite a few emotions and I've decided that I'm excited about our next few days together.

Cautiously excited about meeting your folks. Cautiously excited about introducing you to my folks. Cautiously excited about seeing you again.

Cautiously excited about you and me and our journey together.
(11 Sept. 2012)