Were Engaged!
He's popped the question and you're dying to tell someone. Without a second thought the two of you race like the wind to share the good news with your mum and dad.
Wait! Haven't you read enough etiquette books to know that there's a right way and a wrong way to spread your fantastic news? And the way you're going to do it will bring you nothing but regrets.
Without any warning you're going to break into the living room and expect your parents to act as if they've just won the Lotto? Dream on!
It's a cold Sunday evening, and your mum and dad are settled for the night. Snuggled into a flannelette dressing gown inherited from her grandmother, her feet lost in your father's outsize slippers and heavy woolen socks that a lamb would be proud of, your mother's head is a pin cushion of pink and blue plastic curlers.
Beside her, your father is spread across the chair fast asleep. Head back, mouth wide open, his snores are successfully competing with the sound of the television which has been turned up to point 25.
Awakened by a kick on the shin, he exudes all the charm and dignity most people exhibit in that situation.
With your 'Mum, dad, we're engaged,' ringing in their ears, at that moment, believe it or not, they hate you and your partner with a passion. Why couldn't you have given them some warning?
They've seen enough TV to know exactly how they're expected to react when their favourite daughter comes home with a ring on her finger. But they've been caught napping in every sense of the word.
If this scene were being enacted on the screen there would be a bottle of champagne cooling in the refrigerator. Elegant gold-edged flutes would be sparkling in the cocktail cabinet, while mum and dad would be stunning in the fashionable gear provided for them by the wardrobe lady. There would be much laughter and exclamation, with all sorts of delightful sentiments pouring out of dad's well-written script, with mum smiling a warm welcome to your fiancé.
But as it is, even if they manage to recover from the disadvantageous position in which you've placed them, the best your parents can do is offer the two of you a cup of tea and a biscuit or two, and wish you both hundred thousand kilometers away.
Spare them the embarrassment and yourself the disappointment. On Sunday night come home alone. Give your parents a broad hint about what to expect tomorrow, and stock the fridge with all the necessary accessories in the meantime.
News like your engagement, deserves the spontaneity of thorough planning.
Vlady Peters is an Australian Civil Marriage Celebrant.
She is the author of 'Complete Book of Australian Weddings' and 'The Small Organisation Handbook'.
Vlady is a member of Queensland Civil Marriage Celebrants Assiociation, Australian Authors'Asssociation and Romance Writers of Australia Association.
Visit Vlady at her website http://www.vlady-celebrant.com
 Google News Updated : Sat, 11 Oct 2008 05:49:35 GMT Democrats Are Gaining, Registration Data Shows - New York Times
New York Times - By NICHOLAS CONFESSORE and GRIFF PALMER Some longtime Republican strongholds in New York are becoming increasingly Democratic, a striking change driven by demographic shifts, intense voter registration drives by Democrats and allied groups and sagging ... Campus registration drives in full swing Ott, Hook face off for open county office Publ.Date : Sat, 11 Oct 2008 03:20:33 GMT McCain Lauds and Attacks Obama in Same Day - New York Times
New York Times - Senator John McCain of Arizona and his supporters at a rally on Friday in La Crosse, Wis. By ELISABETH BUMILLER LAKEVILLE, Minn. - After a week of trying to portray Senator Barack Obama as a friend of terrorists who would drive the country into ... McCain Moves to Soften the Tone at Rallies John McCain, speaking to supporters, tries to defuse an anti ... Publ.Date : Sat, 11 Oct 2008 05:08:14 GMT Paulson Indicates Need to Purchase Bank Equity `Soon as We Can' - Bloomberg
Bloomberg - By John Brinsley and Rebecca Christie Oct. 11 (Bloomberg) -- US Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson indicated that pumping government funds into banks is a priority and said financial markets will remain volatile. US planning to buy equity in financial institutions Treasury Weighs Investing In Banks Publ.Date : Sat, 11 Oct 2008 04:21:05 GMT Genomics project unites four Wisconsin research institutions - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Milwaukee Journal Sentinel - By KATHLEEN GALLAGHER Wisconsin’s four biggest academic research institutions will collaborate on an initiative aimed at giving the state national stature in the fast-emerging field of individualized medicine, Gov. Marshfield Clinic gets biggest donation yet Wis. governor unveils gene research triangle Publ.Date : Sat, 11 Oct 2008 05:29:44 GMT Bush: US authority able to solve financial crisis - People's Daily Online
People's Daily Online - US President George W. Bush arrives in the Rose Garden at the White House to makes a statement on the economy in Washington, October 10, 2008. President Bush vows action on financial crisis Bush's Lullaby to the Markets Publ.Date : Sat, 11 Oct 2008 04:12:49 GMT US Near Changing Stance on North Korea as Terrorist - Wall Street Journal
Wall Street Journal - By JAY SOLOMON WASHINGTON -- The Bush administration is hoping to announce as soon as Saturday that it is tentatively removing North Korea from its list of state sponsors of terrorism, in a bid to kick-start a stalled nuclear disarmament agreement, ... AP: US to remove North Korea from terror blacklist US May Remove North Korea From Terrorism List, AP Reports Publ.Date : Sat, 11 Oct 2008 04:02:40 GMT G-7 Commit to `All Necessary Steps' to Stem Global Meltdown - Bloomberg
Bloomberg - By Simon Kennedy Oct. 11 (Bloomberg) -- Group of Seven finance chiefs, meeting after stocks plunged and as a global recession looms, vowed to prevent the failure of vital banks while failing to unveil new initiatives for thawing credit markets. Group of 7 Nations Seek Coordination in Rescue In latest bold step, Treasury will buy bank stakes Publ.Date : Sat, 11 Oct 2008 04:03:42 GMT Add RSS Feeds To My Web Pages |
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