A special moment, to remember and cherish forever

Now Grandma always told me that a simple black dress never goes out of style.  So I wore that simple black dress, curled my hair in loose locks, sprayed my favorite perfume, and gave myself one last look over before we left for dinner. He arrived early for the first time, wearing the most anxious smile on his face.  And when our eyes met, nothing else mattered but that we were together.  

If you know my husband, then know that any moments of silence are rare.  However, it was a very quiet drive to the restaurant I recall.  I tried making small conversations, but he seemed to prefer listening to music.  It was a bit too quiet, so we entertained ourselves by singing with the various 80’s artists that surprised us on the car radio.

Then he turned down the radio and said, “I need to make a quick stop before we eat.”

 I agreed asking him where we were going. 

He said, “It is just a quick stop.” 

We arrived at an outdoor shopping mall and pulled the car into a spot in front of a clothing store.  Helping me climb out of the car, he led me past the clothing store to the jewelry store next door.  My heart began to beat like the sound of a drummer’s roll as with fear.  My face seemed to freeze, and I was not sure I should smile. My knees shook like two wooden maracas, rolling to the beat of a Salsa tune, and my hands trembled like two tambourines as he held them. A thousand questions rushed my mind, but never reached my lips. I was motionless, speechless, and nearly breathless.

He told me for the second time: “Pick one.”

When I realized what he was saying, the store owner had a camera person filming us. Under extreme pressure, I picked a ring.  I chose the ring that most symbolized our relationship. It was a beautiful stair-step ring with three tiers representing one-step at a time, one hill at a time, and one mountain at time.  This ring symbolized our past, present and future.  It was the only ring amongst rings.  Then he placed this ring on my hand, and asked me to be Mrs. Edward Glen Neal.  Not able to hold my burgeoning emotions in check, I humbly accepted, and answered. “Yes.”

We were promised, and it was amazing!  And we were so happy. I wanted to call everyone.  Especially my dad who predicted we would be married long before.  And who would have thought that the dinner Eddie had planned was another surprise. I had told him over a year before that I had never eaten sushi. As an athlete, he ate sushi all of the time.  Our engagement dinner was the very first time I had ever eaten sushi. And it is still something we share now.

I know that I am one blessed woman.  Not just because I married my best friend, the father of my children, my co-worker, my adviser, my protector and provider.  I am blessed because God loved me enough to provide me with a part of himself in a husband.  He is a great leader, great father, and a great companion. And it is my sincere hope that every woman would be so blessed to know this love and confidence in this lifetime.