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Since J and I were in New York last weekend, we met up with his family (Mom, Dad and sister D) this afternoon for a Dim Sum birthday brunch to celebrate D’s birthday (which was on the 24th). Happy Birthday, sis!

I feel pretty damned lucky to have gotten together with someone like J. He’s close to his family - probably even closer than I am to mine, if that’s possible - and they’re really great people. No in-law problems for us, on either side…unless we were ever to split. My mom told me before we were even engaged that if we ever broke up, she was going to keep him - maybe instead of me, I’m not too sure!

I can’t imagine what it would be like to marry into a family that I couldn’t at least get along with pretty well. And I honestly don’t think I would be very comfortable marrying someone who didn’t have at least a fairly decent relationship with his family. Family is just too important to me - some really *bad* skeleton would have to be in the closet for me to understand just not caring about your family. Those skeletons definitely exist (I do subscribe to cable, after all), some more obvious than others, but I think I’d expect to hear a pretty cogent explanation of them before I’d be able to accept shutting out the family.

Tangents aside, it was a typical Sunday. Most of the afternoon in the bookstore after brunch, trying to talk my budget into allowing me more books than I have any real need for. I’m on a huge nesting kick lately for whatever reason - rearranging rooms, planning gardens, wishing we could build a house - and there’s a book (or ten) for every tangent my mind takes. I managed to come home with only one big book, on discount no less, so I’m pretty darned pleased with myself.

Well, there you go. Old enough or not, he did it. My little brother got married. Congratulations, kiddo!

Personally, I think he’s on a quest to prove that we are as different as two members of the same species can be. He and his new wife were engaged for…oh, at least a week and a half? Married already. J and I have been engaged for almost exactly four years; still not married. Good thing I don’t have a “gotta get there first” complex or anything!

In all seriousness, I’m really happy for both of them. I do wish that they weren’t less than three weeks from moving to Puerto Rico (for the Coast Guard), since it has been pretty darn nice having the whole family in the same local calling area for the last couple of years! Funny how those pain-in-the-rear siblings become nice to have around when you hit your late 20’s or so.

One nice thing, of course - the pressure is off now. We no longer have to wonder whether J and I will manage to get hitched before my little brother. The answer is obviously no!

My little brother is not old enough to get married. Really. I mean, he’s only three years younger than I am, and I’m not even 30. Quite. Okay, so he’s old enough, by law and just about any reasonable person’s definition of “old enough”. But you know, I’m not “reasonable”...I’m his big sister! I’m still having trouble accepting that he’s old enough to drink if he wants to. Let alone old enough to save lives for a living (and quite well, might I add. I can be proud and still be in denial!).

Old enough or not, he’s doing it. (Getting married. Keep up here!) Yes, I was thrilled for him when he got engaged. (Engaged is fine, you see…it’s married that I can’t quite accept!) He’s marrying a really nice girl who is very good for him. So that’s not a problem. And it’s not just that I always thought…assumed, really…that I’d be married first. Especially since J and I have been engaged for close to four years now…you’d think “no problem, she’ll be married first.” bzzt. He’s been through - what, three? - girlfriends since we decided to tie the knot, and now I can pretty much guarantee that he’ll be married first. Since he’s doing it in ten hours or so (and I’m not getting married in the wee hours tonight), it looks like that’s the safe bet at this point.

I think I can pretend, for awhile, that he’s not. Married, that is. Seeing as I’m not invited to the wedding or anything. Not that it’s personal…NO one is invited. No family, no friends, just them and the minister (and, I assume, any required witnesses to this deed). You see, this is the “we’re moving overseas in three weeks and want to be married first” wedding. As opposed to the “white dress, flowers and family” wedding they’re planning for fall. That one, I think I’ll be prepared for.

Until then, I think I’ll just refuse to accept it. I can do that. I’m allowed, as the big sister, to refuse to accept that my little brother is old enough to be someone’s husband.