The preparation and planning for our wedding (just over three months and counting…) has been fun and worry-free, for the most part, and has certainly been an educational experience. Last night we had our first night of pre-cana in the basement of a church in Boston. A few months ago I definitely didn’t know what pre-cana was, and if asked, I’d have said that I didn’t think Aimee and I needed pre-martial counseling. And I still think we’re probably not the target audience for it, but it certainly didn’t hurt to have our compatibility confirmed by a few board games and workbook exercises. As Aimee described it, it felt a little like driver’s ed, a bunch of people sitting at long tables in the basement, no couple sitting with another couple until all of the tables were half-occupied, a widescreen tv in the front of the room, half-obscuring the crucifix, and a kitchen full of coffee urns and Ritz crackers. We spent two hours ranking things that were important to us (kids, time together, trust) and not important to us (drugs, smoking, abuse), things that were not a concern (who takes out the garbage, secrets) and things that might be (husband’s employment, sleep, tv). We scored well on the compatibility chart, though I fear I may have misjudged Aimee on the “how I see her” list, though with the choices they gave, I felt like was tough not to offend someone somewhere along the line. It was a strange evening, being in a Catholic church in Boston the day after the pope’s death and as the first pitch was being thrown out for the Sox’ opener at Yankee Stadium, but it was painless and enlightening, and at least now I’m not dreading being singled out as a heathen in the back row.