Today's Realizations

So I went wedding dress shopping this past weekend and last night (which was quite traumatic since I've blown up in weight department, but that's for another time). I went for a drink with my mom and cousin afterward and got to thinking...I'm really getting married. I don't know why it's taken a month for this to become REAL to me, but it has. Not that I'm not thrilled and so happy, but it just made me think about things before now, who I was growing up and where I am now.
Back in the day, I was a serious snotty you know what. A major witch. I had a "set" group of friends and was not open to meeting anyone different or accepting any change whatsoever in my life. I know that people didn't like me, and honestly, I was so concerned with being accepted by my friends, that I didn't really like myself. I continued this trend through some of college as well, which really hindered me from some awesome times. Thankfully, I changed my views on things. I became open to meeting new people who I may have not have previously, and because of that, I made some really great friends and made memories with people who liked me for ME.
My fiance was one of those people. He grew up in a different lifestyle than me, had a different experiences than me, and had a totally different outlook on things than I did. But he became my best friend, and, eventually, the love of my life and future husband.
I guess the point of this, for those people who knew me then - I'm not who I was (love that Brandon Heath song, by the way). I am no longer the self-obsessed snobby girl who looks down on people. I do still love to shop and am a label whore, I'll admit it. But I put others first and I try to honestly be nice to people. I am about to become a step-mother at 24, something I never even considered would be a possibility, but yeah, it's my life. I have been through so much since I graduated from high school - my parents divorcing, the birth of my baby sister, my father's ongoing drug addiction. I no longer live in my bubble.
So yeah, I'm getting married. But it's not the Kelley from Wren High School that's marrying her perfect guy and riding off into the sunset. It's the Kelley who has found a perfect soul in an imperfect person and loving everything about him. It's the Kelley who worked hard for her degree and works hard at her job to be successful. It's the Kelley who has to continually work at being a step-mother to an 8 year old daughter, pray for patience and guidance daily on dealing with her father, and who loves to tell people she has a 2 year old sister because the confusion on their faces is priceless.
I am me, truly and for real, and I love it!