The Day My Husband Proposed

The day my husband proposed…Saturday July 4, 1998

When my husband and I became engaged we had only know each other for three and a half months. Our relationship moved quickly. We met in March, I moved in with him in May, he proposed in July, and we were married in October. All of this happened in the same year. We knew we were destined to be with each other and we felt that time couldn’t move fast enough for us to begin our lives together.

My husband, unknown to me at the time, had decided that July fourth was the day wanted to propose to me. He picked July fourth as the day to propose because of the fireworks. He thought that would be the perfect time to ask me.

For the fourth of July we decided to spend the evening at my parent’s house. I thought the plan was that we would go over to their house, we all would watch Brian and my brother shoot fireworks, afterwards we all would sit on the deck and eat homemade ice cream, and then Brian and I would go home. Nothing to exciting was going to happen that day. Aside from the fireworks I didn’t think it would be any different from any other Saturday evening we had spent over there.

Looking back I should have known something was going on but I was young and naïve and didn’t think about what was going on that day. That morning was the same as any other Saturday. However, that afternoon, Brian spent a lot of time on the computer chatting with his best friend. Before we left to head out to my parent’s house Brian had me sit at the computer and chat with his best friend’s wife. At the time I didn’t know her and thought it a little strange but like I said earlier I really didn’t give it much thought. He said that while I was busy he was going to run up to the gas station and fill up the car. Brenda kept me busy on the computer asking me questions about how long we had been together, what I thought of Brian, and our plans for the Fourth and our future. The real reason Brian had me chatting with her was  that he needed me to stay occupied while he put our cd player in the car, took the roses he bought the evening before, and the ring out the back door and put them in the trunk of our car. When he got back from the gas station, or so I thought, we headed out to my parent’s house. As soon as it got dark my parents, my sister, and I sat in lawn chairs and watched the firework show that my husband and my brother put on for us.

When the show was over we decided the homemade ice cream, we started earlier, was done so I ran inside to get everything ready for it. My husband and my parents stayed outside for a few minutes but since they all three smoke I thought that was why so I didn’t give it a second thought. A few minutes later my parents came in and with just a quick glance at me my dad tells me that Brian needs my help finding something in the car. I was confused and didn’t want to go outside. Brian is very particular about his vehicles so I couldn’t imagine that there would be anything in the car he needed help finding. I asked my dad what it was he couldn’t find. Dad said he didn’t know but Brian really needed my help so I better go out there. I ran outside, kind of put out by the way my dad was being so vague and the fact that I was in the middle of something.  As soon as I got out the door and turned to face the car I froze in my tracks. On the hood of the car is our cd player and spread out on the trunk of the car is a dozen red roses. My husband is standing next to the car. I was frozen in place. I remember standing there looking at him standing next to the car and I instantly knew what was going to happen. I mean I was suddenly hoping I knew what was going to happen. Since I was still frozen in place I have no idea how I managed to make my feet move. But within the next few seconds I was standing in front of my husband, looking into his eyes. When I get to him he kisses me and turns the cd player on. It quietly starts to play our song From Here to Eternity by Michael Peterson. Brian takes my hands and drops to one knee. I know he had a speech prepared and I know he was talking to me but when he dropped down to one knee my heart suddenly went into overdrive and starting pounding in my ears. I could barely breathe let alone hear him. I was shaking and thinking I know I hoped for this but WOW I can’t believe it is really happening. I am like an infant, a grown woman who suddenly cannot speak. I just nodded my head up and down like a bobble toy and mumbled something that I hoped sounded like yes…I remember thinking I hoped he just asked me to marry him but because my heart is still pounding so loudly I cannot hear anything else but I think I made out the words “marry me”. He opens a little black box and takes out a ring and puts it on my finger. The ring is beautiful. He stands up and we embrace. I suddenly realize how nervous he is. His whole body is shaking as we hug. We stay outside and continue to hold each other for a few more minutes. Not just because of how much we love each other but because we are both so shaky that we were supporting and holding each other up. When we finally get our nerves under control we decide it is time to go inside and face my parents. This makes me pause. I tell Brian I don’t want to go but he tells me that they already know. That is why they were outside for a few minutes. He asked my parents for their permission first. Now it all made sense to me.

He tells me that he wasn’t nervous to ask my parents. He knew they would say yes because they told us that they wanted us to get married first when we told them I was moving in with him a few months earlier. He was nervous to ask me. He was afraid that I would say no or that I wouldn’t like the ring, especially since it doesn’t have a big diamond on it. He tells me he even asked my parents if they thought I would like the ring and my dad told him not to worry about that I would love it just the way it was. My dad was right. To me the ring was, and still is, beautiful and perfect.

We go inside to face my family. When we get inside my dad is sitting in his chair grinning like the Cheshire cat. He looks over at me and says “So what did Brian want help with outside?”  I start rambling that he proposed to me and then I proudly hold up my hand to show off the ring.  Everyone loved it and was very excited for us. 

Thirteen years later and this is still my favorite story to tell. That Fourth of July is one I will never forget.  I wouldn’t change anything about our life together. We are soul mates and knew it from the first day we met. I look forward to many, many more years together with him.