The Purpose of Engagement

What is the purpose of engagement?  To truly get to know the other person.  This is at least what I've found thus far in engagement.  My fiance and I know that we are committed to one another, and now all of our tendencies are roaring their ugly heads. I'm not afraid to say something about the little things that bothered me when we were dating (like how he chews his food really loud).  He's not afraid to call me out when I'm being irrational.  We both disagree a lot more than we did when we were dating, but it's good.  We're learning who the other person truly is (not that we didn't find that out during dating, but now it's on a deeper lever) and we're learning how we function and how we're going to function as a couple. 

Defining engagement is important in professional development because some couples may define engagement differently.  I think it's important, though, that all couples know (like discussed in class) that engagement is time to prepare for marriage.  It's a time to talk about different expectations and values.  It's a time to communicate on a deeper level.  

Defining engagement impacted me because once I stepped back and realized what engagement is about - learning about the other person and learning how we will function as a married couple - it doesn't make it so bad.  Instead of counting down the days until the wedding and complaining about all the planning that has yet to be done, I can live in the moment and appreciate this time of getting to know my fiance in a deeper way.