To Be The Man

I'm writing about me again. Not very couple like I suppose.

Last weekend, Ji went to look at gowns with her mother and sister in New York. They're going to do the same this weekend in Philly. It's a big surreal moment I assume, putting on those dresses, wearing veils, seeing yourself in the mirror as a bride and future wife. Moments like this, they symbolize a passage into grown up womanhood. Its a shared experience from one generation to the next. It's like joining a club.

My question is, what is the equivalent moment for a guy? Tuxedos don't really create much of a buzz. They're elegant and handsome, but you see them at award dinners, gallery openings, orchestra performances (because I go to all of those on a regular basis) and think nothing of it unless you work for the E! Network or People Magazine. Tuxedo doesn't equal wedding. It doesn't have the same cache as the wedding gown. Plus, guys don't really do the whole, "Let's go looking for tuxedos Dad and brother!"

So we've established that isn't the moment. Is it the actual wedding day? Is it when you own your first home? Have your first son? Coach your first little league team? I'm not sure. If I had to venture a a guess, it's when your future father-in-law kisses his daughter and then shakes your hand. He is trusting you with her happiness, heart, and security, something he's always had exclusivity over. Don't screw this up. Your the man now. (And I will find you if you screw it up)

Is that the moment? It must be. Right?