Calling in sick. I have Royal Wedding fever.

Tomorrow is the big day-The Royal Wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton. Given that this is the most talked about story world wide, (outside of the horrendous tornadoes in AL and MS  yesterday) I'm sure you already knew that.  I've been made fun of by some and others think it utterly ridiculous that I think it is so exciting.  That's ok.  I don't mind. It happens once every 30 years so if that's as often as people think I'm ridiculous then I think I'm doing pretty good with my life!

See, I remember the wedding of Princess Diana and Prince Charles. I was in high school and sleeping over at a friends house.  We woke up (or maybe we never went to sleep!) in the wee hours of the morning to watch the Royal Wedding.  It was a moment I will never forget so I want to continue tradition and watch the next big Royal Wedding of England.  I won't be watching it with my friend this time around (sad face) but I will be watching it with at least one of my daughters :)  Maybe when they're older and have daughters of their own they'll watch the Royal Wedding of the son of William and Kate.

I've tried to explain my wanting to watch the wedding as it being every little girls dream to become a princess one day, to ride in a carriage, to be married to a prince and to wear a beautiful tiara and amazing wedding gown.  What girl doesn't dream of that?! Compare that to men around America getting ready to watch the NFL draft.  It is something every little boy dreams about becoming one day-become a professional athlete, riding in a pimped out SUV, wearing the uniform of their favorite pro sports team and one day getting to wear a Super Bowl ring or a World Series ring.  Will they ever get the opportunity?  Probably not.  Is there even a slight possibility?  Odds are no.  But could it happen one day? Sure, why not?! It's ok to have big, unrealistic dreams as long as we don't let those dreams shadow the lives God has given us or choose to set a standard in our life that is totally unattainable. 

I've been married for (almost) 25 years to my Prince Charming.  Our life together has been far from a fairy-tale at times, but most times I can't imagine being a happier princess. The pomp and circumstance that is accompanying this royal wedding is something to behold, but what about the life they live after the wedding?  Is it still fairy-tale worthy?  Does Kate Middleton still feel royal and princess-like and breathless in the excitement of the daily routine?  Probably not.  Their life will go on, just like the rest of us and they will begin to try to figure out this life they now live as a married couple. Those of us who are married know that day-to-day is not quite fairy-tale but when you are married to the prince that God has chosen for you and you are the princess that God created for him, then you are definitely on the yellow-brick road to happiness.  (I crossed the fairy-tale line with that Wizard of Oz reference, but it's the best word scenario I could come up with).  I am blessed far more than I could ever explain and thankful for the opportunity to share life with my husband.  The ups and downs of our life have given us the opportunities to learn to work through issues, become less self-centered, and learn how to truly care for and serve each other.

Can I just say that ultimately I AM a princess?  Being a christian, I am a daughter of the King of Kings.  My royal palace in Heaven will make Buckingham palace look like the projects.  (read Revelation 21 to see what I mean!!).  I look forward with much anticipation to that day when I will finally see my Prince face to face and to see the place He has been preparing for me since before the beginning of time.  Now that seems like a great fairy-tale to me! I just wonder what the carriage ride will be like!!

So, my royal subjects, those are the reasons that I am going to be one of "those" people who gets up early to watch the Royal Wedding and still dream the dream of little girls and becoming a princess one day :)