Whenever I see Chris’s grandmothers, I always feel a tinge of sadness knowing that my own paternal grandmother didn’t get to live to see me do things like graduate from high school or college, get engaged, or even just reach a double-digit age, as she passed away when I was just nine years old. We went to visit Nana at her house today, and she talked about the blessed life she’s had – the happy childhood, the loving marriage to Appa, and the constant help and love she receives now from everyone, from her family, friends, and even neighbors. Every time we see her, she always has us do a short group prayer, where she thanks the Lord for all the blessings of her and her family’s life. This time, she asked the Lord to bless our engagement and marriage, and I could feel my eyes starting to water when she asked this of Him.

I’m not used to people being so accepting of me, of asking to bless anything I do or wish me well from a higher power. I’m honestly not sure what I ever did to be accepted to the degree I have been, or to be loved by people I don’t spend much time with, but it’s a very surreal feeling.