Diary of a Pregnant Virgin #15

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Dear Diary,

I’M MARRIED! Mary, daughter of Aaron, has become Mary, wife of Joseph. It all happened so fast, I can hardly believe it!

Mom had been going crazy with planning the past couple of months. Luckily we’d been talking about plans ever since Joseph proposed, so she already mostly knew what I wanted. I only wanted one bridesmaid, my cousin Rebekah, who has been my best friend since we were little. Her gown was light blue with a deep purple sash, and the cake was large enough but not enormous, trimmed with purple frosting roses. The day before the wedding Mom had all the younger cousins in our family run around Nazareth picking flowers, and they made beautiful bouquets for me and Rebekah and garlands to decorate the synagogue.

The most important part, though, was of course my dress. Every since I was little I’ve wanted to wear my mom’s dress on my wedding day. I used to play dress-up in it, but we hadn’t pulled it out of its box in years. So as soon as I got home, Mom pulled me into her room and got it out. We were both so nervous it wouldn’t fit, but, thank the Lord, it did! We only needed to hem it a little bit, and it was perfect. It’s the most exquisite thing ever, with tiny flowers embroidered all around the sleeves and neckline.

Yesterday morning was the big day. I woke up early, as soon as the sun came in my window and made me squint. Mom made breakfast cakes with sweet syrup for my last meal in their house. Then she helped me brush my hair and twist it back on the sides, with a few little wisps falling around my face. I pulled the dress over my head and let Mom tie the sash around my waist. Then I tucked fresh flowers in my hair and put on my veil. It was long and gauzy and fell down almost to my waist in front and to my knees in back. It felt like I was wrapped in mist.

Surprisingly enough, we all held it together just fine all morning. I was actually doing just fine until I started walking down the aisle clutching my dad’s arm. I saw Joseph standing at the other end, looking like he could hardly breathe. I saw his eyes sparkling at me, and although we hadn’t said one word to each other yet, it was as if I could read all his vows there already. For better or for worse, in sickness and in health… At that moment, it didn’t even matter that I was specially favored by God and pregnant with the Messiah and all that. I was just a girl marrying the man of her dreams.

And then again, God was so there. I could almost feel him smiling down on us. There was so much love in that room—from God, from me and Joseph, from all our family and friends—I swear I thought my heart would burst right there in the aisle.

It felt like the ceremony had barely started, when I realized we were at the end and I heard the words, “I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride.”

So Joseph kissed the bride. For the first time ever, in front of everybody. The carpenter and his pregnant virgin bride. It was absolutely surreal, and beautiful, and perfect, and strange, and magical, all at once. We’ve kissed since then, of course, but there can only be one First Kiss. That’s something I’m going to remember forever.

Joseph and I went home after that. Since we kind of had to get married so quickly, there wasn’t any budget for a proper honeymoon, so we just went straight home to the house Joseph built. I honestly don’t mind, though. Who needs a beach, really? We’ve got each other. No matter what weirdness happens next, or what people say, Joseph and I have got each other. And just by that simple fact, I feel like I’m flying.

There’s only one downside. Joseph and I talked about it, and we decided that the Messiah being born of a virgin like it says in Isaiah means he has to actually be born from someone who’s still a virgin. So… we’re going to hold off for a while. It’s going to be difficult, but we don’t want to take the chance of messing anything up. You know what, though, we’re still together. Forever and ever, till death do us part. And tonight I get to fall asleep tucked under my husband’s arm!



Isaiah 7:14
Matthew 1:24-25

1 comments:

Rachel Hicks said...

These Just keepp getting better and BETTER!!!!!