Dear Mindy

"And I'm not saying that marriage should always be easy.  But we seem to get so gloomily worked up about it these days.  In Shakespearean comedies, the wedding is the end, and there isn't much indication of what happily ever after will look like day to day.  In real life, shouldn't a wedding be an awesome party you throw with your great pal, in the presence of a bunch of your other friends? A great day for sure, but not the beginning and certainly not the end of a friendship with a person you can't wait to talk about gardening with for the next forty years."

"Married people, it's up to you.  It's entirely on your shoulders to keep this sinking institution afloat.  It's a stately old ship, and a lot of people, like me, want to get on board.  Please be psyched, and convey that psychedness to us.  And always remember: so many, many people are envious of what you have.  You're the star at the end of the Shakespearean play, wearing the wreath of flowers in your hair.. The rest of us are just the little side characters."

I'm the star! See, I'm getting pampered and gushed over. 

I know those quotes are long, but I love Mindy Kaling.  She's not married, but she actually brings up a lot of good points. (These are from her book I mentioned before, Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?)

I feel like people are more prone to talk about the negative aspects of their lives than the positive aspects.  Part of that could be because we like pity and part of it could be because we would rather say "see, my life is worse than yours" and get pity than say "my life is so much better than yours!" and make people feel like we're just showing off.

But to me, it's just natural to be happy in your marriage.  And act like it. Like I have my grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, parents, sisters, brother, and a few friends who are all married and while everyone has those times when it gets a little rough, they all love it.

So, Dearest Mindy, let me convey to you my psychedness about being married!

I think this picture says it all, but I'll put it into words.

• I get to be with my best friend forever and ever.  Like it's so official, as soon as the official certificate comes in not only will my facebook last name be Taylor, but my legal name will be too.  I can't even tell you how awesome it is to sign three names when I sign things. Or know that soon I can get a new license. I'm like stoked.  He's mine forever and ever, and it's legal and official. How COOL is that!!?
• I have a live-in best friend.  If I get sick at 2 am, he's going to be there to take care of me.  When I wake up in the middle of the night crying because I dreamed he got bludgeoned to death by a can of soup, he's there to hug me and prove that he's not dead. 
• I always have some kind of plans for the evening.  Even if I don't actually have real plans, I know that I know who I'm hanging out with.  Even if it just turns out to be us reading while we cuddle or something cute and old-persony like that.
• It's a great way to learn how to be a grownup! (Future blog post, perhaps?) Even since we just were engaged, I really stepped up and learned to cook awesome dinners and make killer French Silk Pies.  I'm really actually a pretty kick-butt chef. Now I have an excuse to make real food instead of just eating easy mac and fruit snacks for dinner.  
• Being crazy in love is super fun.  Like I think I'm stuck in the "honeymoon phase" for the rest of my life.  We do crazy things like have tickle fights or water gun fights.  We binge watch Boston Legal together.  We even gossip together.  He knows every single piece of gossip I've heard since middle school.  When we hang out with my (our) friends, he even patiently listens to gossip about people he's never even heard of before.  I got a good one.
• The first week where it's appropriate and even pretty much mandatory to leave the real world, turn off the phones, and just do things together is like the best, most relaxing week ever.  

In a recent issue of Cosmo, Christine Tiegen (John Legend's wife) mentioned how she loves married couples who act like they're in love, even in public.  She even says she wants to see more married couples make out. 

I wonder what time Blake gets off work today :)

Clearly, these are the faces of two people who absolutely hate each other and are completely miserable being married.