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Meeting my wife and proposing
It was over 29 years ago when I first saw her come to church. She has beautiful long, dark brown hair. Her smile lit up the room. She came with a mutual friend who now is a missionary in Uganda. I thought she had a boyfriend so I thought, “I'll never be good enough for her.” And gave up any hope to get to know her. We both attended a state college and I saw her in some of the same horticulture classes. I used to call her to find out how to work problems…secretly thinking, “I wonder if she likes me.” Eventually she broke up with her boyfriend and was available. During my last year of college I worked up the courage to ask her if she would walk home from church with me. She said “yes.” When she went home for Thanksgiving break I asked her to come with me to have lunch and pick out some jewelry as a Christmas present for my mom. The shopping was a ruse to spend time with her. I was so excited that she agreed. As we ate lunch I looked into her beautiful hazel eyes and began to “fall in like” with her.
Things progressed to the point where I walked her to and from church every week as she lived only a block from my student apartment. I think it was in the early spring that I asked if I could hold her hand and she said “no.” That was a big disappointment and signaled for me to move slower. I think it was about February of the next year that I met with my pastor and told him I really loved her and why. I wanted to know what he thought about her as a wife for me. He laughed and said, “She was the one to ask.” But yes he did think we would be a good match even though there were many differences between us. My pastor and his wife eventually met with her and said I was going to ask her to marry me…and what would she say. She said she would accept but had some things she wanted to tell me.
It was about a week or so later that I arranged for her and I to go on a hike and picnic at a local county park. It was a beautiful spring day and the birds were singing. We hiked and when we got to the top of this big hill we stopped for lunch. It was there that I popped the question. I said “I love you…and will you marry me” she said yes, but there were some things she wanted to share with me. I think we kissed for the first time and hiked down the hill. After I had driven her home I remember her and I having a slow, long goodbye kiss. What a beautiful day that was.
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