Enjoying the summer. All the beauty, the colors, the joy we all get from being outdoors on gorgeous sunny days are being absorbed and put away, to be remembered when the snow and zero degree weather makes its entrance.
This is the summer I proposed to my girlfriend.
The experience was nerve racking for me. I had planned on doing it while on a hike. I was not sure where, but the date had to be May 13th - and no, not because it was Mother's Day. This Mother's Day just happened to fall on the date where three years ago Heather came down the escalator at the airport and her hand clicked into my own, fitting better than a puzzle piece. We packed the dogs, I packed the ring in my cargo shorts and off we went to a new trail. The whole time I wondered if the trail would be fine and hoped it wouldn't rain. Just a few yards into the trail we began hearing thunder. It didn't start to sprinkle until further down our walk, but that didn't stop us. The rain was actually cooling on the warm day. The whole time we walked along, I kept an eye out for the perfect spot. We walked through swampy areas, on boardwalks, admiring the ferns and watching the dogs enjoy themselves taking in all the nature smells. We had reached the end of the trail and it opened up to an area where the creek broke off into different tributaries. The view was beautiful and silent, making us feel like we were the only ones on Earth. I knew this should be the spot. Heather started to turn around to head back onto the trail and I fumbled around a bench with the dog to stall when all of a sudden I heard loud croaking squawk. We look up to see a Great Blue Heron fly over us. Being that the Great Blue is my favorite bird, and one I recently had tattooed on my calf, we stood there in awe at its beauty. I second later we hear more squawking and are shocked to see SIX more fly in a criss-cross-like pattern over our heads. With our mouths hanging open at seeing this incredible site, I realize this is a sign. If there was ever a time to do it, it definitely should be NOW! As the last of the herons fly away, I tell Heather that I found something and I wanted her to look at it. She was still in awe over seeing such a display of herons and confused that I was not in the same state of awe, when she took in the seriousness of my tone as I handed her the stone. The rock was a stone I found, its shape that of a heart. My nervous words to her spilled out, telling her since the first day her hand went into mine, how perfect it felt... and that I wanted to hold her hand forever. As she turned the over, she saw that I had written "Will you Marry Me?" on the back, and I got down on one knee and asked her to marry me. Thankfully she said yes!
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| The stone and the ring. The ring is based on the Gimmel rings from long ago. |
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| The Great Blue Heron. Not one of the ones we saw that day, but one that happened to stand still long enough for me to snap a picture of it. |
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| The heron's likeness tattooed on my leg by Nora at Jade Lotus. For me they symbolize peace, strength and patience - all of which I have finally found. |
