Oh how it sucks to have something to shout to the world… and not be able to tell it!!
Out of respect to those that we love, there is a simple order that is an unwritten law when is comes to spilling the beans on important news: spouse, family, close friends, the world. As far as I’m concerned, the gray area starts right after family. Proximity often comes first out of convenience when it comes to friends, but there are often those far-away close friends that deserve a phone call as soon as the story breaks.
This hierarchy can cause some moments where we are forced to give a little white lie to coverup or attempt to change the subject and hope to avoid compromising our secret.
For instance, back to the night we found out and I was at the church meeting. I needed to talk to my friend Adam afterward (remember the hob nobbing) and I told him that I had to run because Julie asked me to come home as soon as possible. Well, I saw him the next evening and he asked, “So why did Julie need you to run home?” Doh!! Now, you are probably already asking why I set myself up like that by even telling him that I had to run home, but remember that I didn’t know anything for sure yet (and who would have guessed he would ask me about it anyway). I responded and told Adam that Julie was packing for San Francisco the next day and wanted me to come home before she went to bed. It was partially true… and he didn’t ask anymore questions. Whew!
Adam, I know you are reading this now and laughing. 🙂
Julie and I both have this insatiable desire to tell SOMEONE! So with every person we interact with, especially the people we know and love, it is a consious decision to hold back what is at the forefront of our minds.
Today will be tough. Julie’s mom is picking her up from the airport and it will be the first time she has seen her since we found out. She tells me that “she is ready to NOT tell her.” They chat about EVERYTHING at 90mph, so this will be a big deal for her to hold back.
Later tonight we are having a party at our house for all of our cousins and siblings of our generation. Needless to say, lots of close family members in one place and the timing couldn’t be worse. It is pretty commonplace for Julie to have a beer or glass of wine when people come over to hang out, so tonight could be interesting if she passes over the alcohol for a soda or glass of water and someone calls her on it. My vote right now is Diana Beth (Julie’s youngest sister)… we shall see.
There will no doubt be other situations where we will have to play our cards right in order to avoid situations that will bring out that Julie is pregnant. So, to all of you that are reading this now, we apologize for the white lies and misdirection that occurred during our weeks of secrecy.
-RB
UPDATE:
Nobody noticed or questioned Julie not drinking any alcohol last night. I guess we had enough people around distracting Diana Beth that she never noticed Julie with only a soda and not a beer.
We won’t have to hold out too much longer. We have the first doctor’s visit on Tuesday, where we find out if it’s official.