The Proposal

My mom doesn’t remember how my dad proposed, or what he actually said…

she just knows she said “yes”.

She tells me they just kind of decided it was the right thing to do.

No overanalyzing. No gushing over ring styles on pinterest & late night chats of “is he going to” with her girlfriends.

No theatrically planned event. No candles or romantic dinner or crazy-sunset-on-a-cliff-in-the-middle-of-nowhere-view.

And, absolutely NO CAMERA documented it.

Just them. Literally.

My mom can’t even remember if he got down on one knee.

WHAT?! I remember the first time she told me I was literally APPALLED.

“He didn’t get down on one knee?!” I asked her.

“I don’t know, honey. That wasn’t an important detail for me to remember.”

Talk about eye-opening.

We see videos on Facebook of AMAZING proposals, HUGE rings & just the right words. And, of course, the couple looks like Barbie & Ken. Obviously.

And yet my mom wears my grandmother’s ring, a simple yet pretty round-cut yellow gold ring. And can’t even remember the exact words he said when he asked for her hand… or if he got down on one knee.

They were 19 when the married. 19 and in love. 19 and crazy.

And you know how long they’ve BEEN married…

30 years.

(actually, a few months shy but you get the drift)

30 YEARS y’all. 30 YEARS with “I-can’t-remember-if-he-got-down-on-one-knee”.

Why? Because in the big scheme of things that detail DOES NOT MATTER.

Amazing. It brings tears to my eyes. (You may find I say that a lot, ha! I can’t help it – I’m emotional!)

I have so much to look up to, so much to learn from that simplicity.

The proposal IS special, I’m not trying to ruin that for you. Mine was AMAZING. Matt planned something I will never forget; and I’m so grateful for that! BUT even if he hadn’t, it’s not about that. It’s not about those crazy videos you see, or if the diamond is a full carat & just the right cut for your pretty little finger…

It’s about the idea of 30 YEARS, 60 YEARS…. can your marriage last that long?

Between messy dishes & laundry & financial burdens & children… can you look back in 30 years and say “we did it. and we’re happy”

I look at my grandparents. At older couples you see walking around holding hands. I wonder what their proposal story is? I’m willing to bet it wasn’t over-the-top or lavish. It was probably really simple. Two kids holding hands. And now, 60 years later, they’re still doing just that.

I hope I can be like that, think like that. 4 months into marriage and that is my prayer.

I pray that I think of my husband more than myself. That when I want to snap at him, I hold my tongue. That I pray for him, constantly. That I show him respect & love & submission. So that in 30 years I can teach my daughter that the proposal doesn’t have to be the biggest or showiest or best thing ever… and if I forget every detail of that perfect day, it’s okay. Because he’s sitting right beside me, holding my hand.

xo, kat

(( Pictures from Pinterest ))

(( Read this article … it’s so good ))