Happy Thanksgiving! I hope your week is full of family and friends (or friends who are like family), food, fun, football and faith.🧡🦃
For me, the official start to the holiday season feels enormously different this fall. It gives me pause to contemplate what I was battling and how I was feeling a year ago–the prayers I lifted up and the hopes and dreams I refused to let go. Life has changed dramatically, and there are more changes on the horizon. However, the changes aren’t the ones some of you are expecting.
I will readily admit that I never anticipated so many QUESTIONS when I shared the news of my engagement in August. I knew I would receive kind words and well-wishes on my show and social media, but I wasn’t prepared for the burning curiosity, ha. You know it killed the cat, right?!😜
Of allllll the questions I’ve fielded, a few of them pop up repeatedly. Oddly enough, people persist in asking if I will keep my name or take the last name of my future husband. (This is absolutely the most popular question from male colleagues.) The most common inquiries revolve around my future: will I be moving, and will I leave radio? The latter blows me away. As I think about the men at my company who’ve gotten married recently, I am confident NONE of them was asked about giving up their radio shows after their weddings.
My family and friends who truly know me don’t have to think twice. I’ve waited a LONG time to get married. After decades of chasing my career all over the country solo, I am so grateful I no longer have to travel this road alone. But it IS a road I will continue to travel!
Will my priorities shift after wedding day? Of course. Will I include my husband in the decisions I make about my career? Absolutely. In fact, he’s already part of the process. Will I pursue, accept or even reject opportunities for the sake of my marriage? Maybe. But will I give up radio for my husband? No. And because he loves me and understands me, he would never make that request.
Over 25+ years in radio, I’ve run into so many guys who couldn’t deal with my career. Whether their perceptions or insecurities or incorrect assumptions or desire to compete with me or their inability to see past my radio show, I encountered it all in the dating pool. I can’t tell you the number of men who disappeared when they found out what I do for a living. Another familiar problem? “Fanboys” who only wanted to communicate with or meet Amy Lawrence. More than once, a guy paid attention to me because he bet his buddies he could get my phone number. Super cool.🙄
I started telling Mom and various friends that the first guy to see beyond my career, to see AMY instead of Amy Lawrence, would be the one I married. And he will be.❤️ For the first time in my life, there’s a man who’s not intimidated, deterred, flummoxed, jealous, dismissive, competitive or anxious about my career. He doesn’t feel threatened by the strong, intelligent, opinionated, capable, independent woman he’s found. He’s PROUD of me!
My future husband knows how hard I work and how much time and effort I pour into my craft. He recognizes that radio isn’t simply a job for me. More than a career, it’s my calling. What a revelation to walk through life with a man who supports and encourages my professional endeavors. He wants to understand my approach and hear about the creative process. He asks about what he hears and can’t wait to see how it comes together behind the scenes. He recognizes that I’m good at what I do after all these years of practice, and he compliments me. Trust me, it’s a whole new world for this girl!
On this Thanksgiving, I am incredibly grateful for a man who loves me for ME and doesn’t expect me to change for him. I am so thankful that he recognizes radio as part of who I am. He would never want me to give it up–any more than I want him to forego his teaching ministry or ignore his calling in this life. He sees the fulfillment and satisfaction that come from a job well done. To know my future husband respects and admires my dedication and commitment is a huge blessing. It lifts me up and gives me confidence, and I could not ask for more.
So to answer your questions, no, I will not be giving up my radio show or retiring from the business or curtailing pursuit of my professional goals and dreams. I would never marry a man who asked me to do that. A part of me would be missing. It’s awesome to finally have a partner who gets that and gets me. He was absolutely worth the wait!💜
I am overwhelmed by how much you want to share my joy and excitement, thank you! Though I wasn’t expecting such a flood of curiosity, I appreciate how much you care. (We also made a couple YouTube videos to respond.) In this post, you get a sneak peek at the flowers: my bouquet and one of the bridesmaids’ bouquets. Since we chose a rich purple as our primary color, I see it everywhere!
Just a few weeks now…can’t wait! Happy Thanksgiving indeed!
Play by Play Day by Day with Amy Lawrence 