I called American Express yesterday. “I’m getting married in about 9 days. How do I go about getting a new card with my new legal name on it?” The woman told me that I’d have to call back to arrange it once I was legally swapped, no skipping the line for this one. Then she added, “Oh, good luck with your wedding, dear! How exciting! You know, you only get married once, so you had better do it right!” She said it in a good-natured, southern-grandmother sort of voice.

It touched me. The American Express customer service representative really hit a nerve with that, in a good way. How often does that happen?

I considered: no one has ever said that to me regarding this wedding, not my mother, not my future mother-in-law — not that I’d expect either of them to say it — but it really hit me: This is my wedding. My one wedding, knock on wood. All of the absurdities, the last minute expenses, the details, all of the silliness and the stressful things and the addenda… this is all for this one important thing. And it’s a small wedding, nothing major, and it’s very laid back, but it’s also the only one I’m getting. We have a reception in May with my in-laws and their extended family/friends, but this ceremony, this thing… this is it.

Having realized that, I am determined to stop stressing so much and just float along the next few days. All of the pieces of the puzzle are laid out on the table and they’re sliding into place one by one. It’ll all be done, regardless of how smooth it all ends up being, by March 7th.

Meanwhile my writing muse has fled in favor of the minor deity of wedding planning, and I’m trying not to obsess over it. Whether or not I finish the draft before the wedding is immaterial, I’m trying to convince myself. Because I will finish it and really, no one will fault me for [finally] hunkering down and getting all of the last minute details figured out for the wedding. I only have a bit more than a week left and I’m determined to do this wedding right, just as the lady said. Even if it — sniff — means I’ll have to put the draft on hiatus until it’s done and done. But that’s okay. I don’t want to have any regrets about the could have, should have of the wedding planning. So far I’m satisfied (with everything but the amount of money we’re spending, ugh) but it’ll take work to keep it that way.

I’m excited.