Ten years ago I visited my long-term long-distance boyfriend in our nation's capital and flew home with an engagment ring on my finger. In many ways, the events of that evening -- discussing whether or not to order wine at dinner, walking through the quaint nighttime streets of Georgetown, needing to locate a bathroom, climbing the steps to a balcony overlooking the Potomac, watching a lightning storm in the distance, sensing an awkward "something's up" while he stalled (to the point where we were recounting all the gifts he'd given me throughout our relationship) -- all feel like a dream.
The details have grown murky and the exact conversation has slipped away, lost in the emotion and excitement of the moment. But amidst the muddled memories, there's certain phrases locked in my mind. I've regaled these words many times to curious friends and they're the ones I'm reflecting on again tonight:
- the sly transition of "...but I've never given you jewelry"
- something along the lines of "we've been together this long. why not the rest of our lives"
- the true-to-form pop-the-question "Sarah Joy Egley, I love you. I want you to be my wife. Will you marry me?" while dropping to one knee
Yes, in some ways July 3, 2011 was the dream. It was a day to explore, laugh, and lounge. Oh how I miss lounging! We had no worries, no responsibilities, and no time restrictions. No schedule, no fussing, no whining, no crying. We were unencumbered, utterly enamored, and by the end of the night, blissfully engaged. But as much as we daydream about hours stacked on hours of unstructured free time together, I realize today, July 3, 2021, is the future we talked about, envisioned, and longed for back then. This is the "rest of our lives." Three silly bedtime pookies and all.
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| Then. 2011. |
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| Now. 2021. |
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| Also now. 2021. |
Let the fireworks begin,
- SJW
