Sommer had bronchitis the day I proposed to her. She didn’t know it at the time, just knew
that she felt terrible. So terrible that
we almost postponed the trip.
So I had the ring, I had Sommer thinking I was going to propose in January, I had the trip, I had the place….or did
I? I was thinking of proposing at the
observation deck in the Willis (formerly Sears) Tower. A couple days before the trip I was looking
at the Willis Tower website and decided that the observation deck was not so
much romantic like Sleepless in Seattle but more like proposing in the middle
of a Disney parade with screaming (and possibly vomiting) children all around.
I needed another place.
So I got to work Googling….
Anyways….one of the top places was Willis Tower. Apparently people like hordes of people
around. Another places was Buckingham
Fountain. A giant beautiful fountain
near the lake. When I checked out where
exactly it was I discovered it was a 10 minute walk from Shedd Aquarium where
we were going to be.
Score.
The website even talked about how beautiful the fountain was
in the winter. And at night they lit it
up! Perfect!
I had found my spot.
The Day Of
We decided to ride the train into Chicago and avoid the
hassle (and cost) of parking. This was a
good idea, riding the train with Sommer was a very relaxing and fun time…for
the most part. The ring was in its box
in my front coat pocket. I assumed that
every woman had a sixth sense and any time Sommer would brush against the front
of my coat she would feel the ring box and know I was about to propose. Fortunately for me, she lacked this ring
sense….or maybe the bronchitis covered it up.
I was texting with my friend Cameron (see what I did there
Cameron?) who knew the whole plan. At
one point, when Sommer and I were looking at Google Maps on my iPhone, a text
from Cameron popped up, “Nervous?”
One word can ruin everything.
Sommer looked at the message, then looked at me blankly, “What
would we be nervous about?”
I made some joke then hurriedly texted back that Sommer
could see my phone. Cameron was good the rest
of the day.
From Union Station in Chicago we caught a bus to Shedd
Aquarium, where we then proceeded to stand in line, in the 13ish degree weather,
for an hour and a half…..did I mention Sommer had bronchitis?
Shedd Aquarium was cool, but not worth an hour and a half
wait, and definitely not worth freezing the entire hour and a half. It was such a relief to get inside.
And the jellyfish exhibit was cool.
Sommer and I had brought warmer clothes to wear when we walked around Chicago after leaving Shedd. Sommer took a little longer to get changed and while I stood outside the restroom waiting for her, the realization that I was really and truly about to propose hit me.
My heart started pounding
Nerves came and went
Time slowed to a crawl
I texted Adiel...maybe Justin....then, I think, Cameron..... possibly Gabrielle....maybe not even in that order...letting them know that the moment was fast approaching. My memory is pretty hazy. I might have just been Googling their names instead of texting.
Sommer came out, blissfully unaware that I was a complete
wreck at this point, and off we went.
The walk along Lake Michigan is a beautiful walk I’m sure, I
just don’t remember it. I do remember
Sommer needing me to slow down at one point because I was walking too fast for
her, which has never happened before nor will happen again most likely.
I was tracking our progress on Google Maps and we arrived at
the park, or what I thought was the park.
Where the giant beautiful fountain should be had been replaced with some
pathetic looking shrubs….
....or at least I thought so until I realized that the fountain was one
more block north.
Off we went! I could
see that the fountain plaza was raised up.
You had to walk up some steps to get up to the plaza to see the
fountain, but as we approached dread started to fill me. I didn’t see any lights. I kept hoping that I was just missing
something, that nothing was wrong, but then we reached the top step. The fountain lay before us in all its
majestic beauty…
Bone frickin' dry.
No lights, no nothing.
Tumbleweed blew through the fountain and plaza.
Just some bum wandering around looking for, I assume, meth....maybe food, but definitely meth....ok, maybe he wasn't a bum, and he was like a mile away, but the story sounds better if he was a meth addicted bum. He was probably a pastor searching for homeless people to get to his shelter so they could have a warm place to sleep and a good meal....or a meth-head, nothing in between, that much is certain.
We walked up to the railing, one that was thankfully tall enough to protect us from
falling in and drowning in the dry fountain.
My heart pounding like I had just run a 10 mile race. I looked around. The Chicago skyline was on two sides, the
lake on the east, the bum/pastor was far away, no one was around, this was as good as I was going to get, I needed to ask. I couldn't hold it in for another 10 minutes much less another week or two.
Sommer, trying to lighten the mood, made water motions with
her hands and said “swoosh!!” as if the fountain had just started up. I laughed, glad to find that my vocal cords were still working.
I used her mood lightening moment to snatch my glove off of
my left hand and place my hand in my pocket, clutching the ring box, practicing
opening and closing it, making sure that it was facing the right way.
“Did I ever tell you the story about my mother and grandmother?” I
began. And with that I launched into the
tale of the ring, be careful to call it a piece of jewelry. I waxed on eloquently about how much my
mother loved that (piece of jewelry) because grandma had given it to her.
I paused
I turned Sommer toward me, realization dawning in her eyes.
I opened the ring box as I went to one knee, her eyes lighting up
“…..and I would be honored if you would marry me.”
She nodded, let out a happy "yes!" then began to cry.
It was a beautiful moment, one I will never forget.
Then she said, between tears, “But it isn’t January!”
In two weeks (from the writing of this post) I will watch in wonder as
my beloved (and hot) Sommer walks down the aisle towards me. I have no idea what God has in store for us,
but I know that we will both work hard to have an amazing marriage, one that honors
God and makes others envious…
Yep, I went there.
I love you, Sommer!
It could only have been someone as amazingly special as you to get into
my heart so quickly and cut through the fear that I had wrapped around me to try to protect myself. I have no idea
what life looks like anymore without you as a part of it.....and I don’t even want
to try.
