From the Bride:
“Our morning started early. It was March 1st and Mike and I were taking a bus trip to New York City for his birthday. Once we arrived in the city, we walked around Rockefeller Center, sightseeing and enjoying each other’s company. We stumbled upon F.A.O Swartz and became just as excited and starry-eyed as the scores of little kids we were in the midst of! Mike and I decided to head to the Met to spend the early afternoon admiring history and art from around the world. (Because we were on a budget, we decided to get a little bit of exercise in and walk the 98 or so blocks to get there!) From the Met we hailed a cab and headed down to Little Italy and China Town for some light shopping and pastry tasting— our first taxi ride! Twenty minutes or so later we were out on the street wandering through the maze of sidewalk markets and little gift shops. So much to see and absorb! While we were walking, Mike had asked me if I wanted to go into one of the little jewelry shops to look at engagement rings. I looked at him and laughed because the area was not in the best of places, and the police had just closed down about seventy five shops for selling knockoffs a few weeks before! I politely told Mike no thanks. He then asked, “Do you think I’m cheap?!” Of course I don’t, it’s just because we didn’t know how reputable and trustworthy these places were. He became strangely quiet. In my mind he was upset with me because I didn’t want to go look, so I kept apologizing. This was supposed to be his birthday gift and I was ruining his day! Unknown to me, he had slipped the engagement ring onto his finger (the hand that was holding mine). I had mittens on, the kind with the flap that folds down into fingerless gloves, so I couldn’t feel it. He was trying to get me to notice what was going on, but I was so concerned and focused on the fact that I made him sad that I had absolutely no idea what was happening! Not seconds after I felt cold metal slip down into my glove… My brain did not register what it was quite quickly enough—at first I thought it was a joke, like he picked up a cheap ring without me knowing it, just to “propose” in spirit—sort of test drive the whole event. But when my numb fingers finally pulled it out, it was absolutely stunning! A gorgeous ring that he picked out all by himself! (That part didn’t surprise me, because he has wonderful taste!) I asked him if he was joking, if it was really real, multiple times I’m sure! In the middle of the busy sidewalk he asked me to marry him…And all I could do was give him a kiss! “Is that a no then?” he asked. Wholeheartedly I responded, “No that’s a YES!” We celebrated with a great dinner and many phone calls to family who were eager to know if we had picked a date yet. In all honesty, the newness of being engaged has not worn off! I am so lucky to have found someone so genuine and so loving to spend my life with. When I was younger and thinking about the possibility of dating and what I wanted in a potential mate, one image stuck with me—When we are old and wrinkly, I want to be able to sit out on our front porch watching the sun go down on a warm summer evening. We would share what God has done in our lives that day, and look at each other with eyes that hold that deep love kind of feeling that never grows old. When I met Mike, I knew he would be that man in my life. He is such a blessing to me, and I can’t wait to start growing old with him!”
