Sarah and Michael

A Groom’s Tale

People often say, “I knew she was the one from the minute I laid eyes on her.”  How could that statement actually be true?   How can one be so overcome by emotion that in a very instant, they know that the woman before them is their soul mate and eventual wife?  These quandaries were solved when my life came into focus, when I met my soul mate, Sarah.
I have known for a long time that Sarah is the woman that I would eventually marry.  We had discussed getting married and starting a family many times over the past five plus years but those talks never amounted to anything more than that, just talks.  When I finally decided it was time to ask Sarah to be my wife, another quandary arose.  How could I ask her in a way that was creative, had an element of surprise and focused on the most important part of our relationship, our love?  I decided that the next several months of planning would be easier if I related it to something more familiar, football.  As in any football game there are four quarters.  The next four quarters of my life would resonate for years to come.
First Quarter
This past summer while getting ready for work I suggested that we go look at rings over the up-coming weekend.  Sarah was taken aback but at the same time her face exhibited excitement.  Our tastes vary greatly and while I knew that I wanted the actual ring and act of asking her to marry me to remain a surprise, I needed her input to narrow down the vast selection.  After an afternoon of looking at bands and diamonds, thousands became hundreds and hundreds became ten.  Ten bands each uniquely different in their own way.  First quarter down, looking good, three more to go.
Second Quarter
Time to purchase the ring.  Narrowing down ten rings to one was not an issue.  I did not waiver and knew that I was going to buy the one that she loved the most.  The question was how to purchase the ring inconspicuously?  Poker.  I let my friend Scott know that I needed to have a “poker night.”  While I was playing “poker,” the meticulous process of diamond selection was well underway.  I did not want the biggest, gaudiest ring money could buy.  I wanted a stone so brilliant, so scintillating that it would literally take her breath away.  Second quarter completed no problem.  Halftime, time to get psyched for the second half.
Third Quarter
Ring in hand; it was time to put my creativity to the test.  How could I express all of my love in one single act?  I decided to take photographs of places/signs throughout the Twin Cities that have meaning to Sarah and I, spelling out “Will U Marry Me?”  After a blustery winter morning, trudging through the snow, the photos were taken and I dropped them off to get framed.  Creativity?  Check.  Heartfelt?  Check.  Element of surprise?  December the 22nd.  The 22nd is my birthday and I had no doubt that she would never expect me to propose on that day.  Third quarter over.  The fourth quarter was right around the corner.  All the planning was about to pay off.
Fourth Quarter
I made a hotel reservation at the St. Paul Hotel for the two of us for the night of the 22nd.  I left work a little early that evening and drove to the hotel to drop off our overnight bag, the picture frame and the ring.  Everything was in place, thankfully.
Two weeks prior to the 22nd, Sarah had a “girl’s day” planned.  I took full advantage of the opportunity and packed an overnight bag for us.  This was a little more complicated than I originally had anticipated.  I had to pack clothes that she would not notice were missing and at the same time feel comfortable wearing the next day.  As I was putting clothing into the bag, I realized that Sarah has a nightly routine that includes but is not limited to; washing her face, brushing her teeth, removing her eye makeup.  Making a trip to Target for travel size accessories, thank you very much!  The aforementioned eye makeup remover almost proved to be fatal after I had packed it into the overnight bag.  I attempted to cover my tracks by ensuring there was a backup bottle left in the closet.  A few days later Sarah asked me if I had moved or thrown out said eye makeup remover.  I said the first thing that came to mind, “Seriously, why would I move or use that?”  She was none the wise and the crisis was averted.
The morning of my birthday, I was going through my daily routine and was forced to call an emergency audible.  I happened to see that there was a product in the waste basket that only appears in the waste basket once a month.  I panicked.  Deep breaths, c’mon Michael get it together, focus.  While Sarah was in the shower I opened the bathroom drawer where these “once a month” products are stored.  This turned out to be an education.  I learned that morning that there are numerous varietals of this product which seemed to be overflowing from our bathroom drawer.  The solution was simple, I grabbed one of each.
The night of my birthday, I asked Sarah to drive us home from dinner.  I took out the GPS, entered the address of the hotel and told Sarah that we should go to this address for a drink.  As we pulled up to the hotel, Sarah said, “Hey, the St. Paul Grill, we have been here for dinner.”
The valet opened the door, “No bags tonight sir?”
“No sir, they are already in our room.”
Sarah’s look of confusion was priceless.  We headed up to the room where I had been just a few hours earlier.  She walked in and saw a bottle of wine, a vase full of flowers, the overnight bag and the eye makeup remover.
“This is amazing, why did you do all of this?”  “By the way I thought I was going crazy and had misplaced my eye makeup remover” Sarah said.
“No reason, I just wanted to start Christmas off on the right foot.”
We decided to go downstairs for a drink.  I did not feel nervous but my actions must have seemed that I was.  I polished off my glass of wine while Sarah had only taken a sip or two of hers.
“Thirsty?” she inquired.
“Apparently,” I replied.
I proceeded to finish off Sarah’s glass of wine as well.  Back at the room I informed her that I had an early Christmas present for her.
“Michael, seriously, this is your birthday!”
“I know but I really want you to have just this one present now.”
I grabbed the hidden frame and presented it to Sarah.  She opened it and it took her a minute to read what the frame said as I grabbed the ring from the safe.
“Are you kidding me right now?” she said.
Game over.  It was perfect.  April 21st 2012 will be the First Quarter of the rest of our lives together. It will also be seven years to the day that we met.  It has been and will continue to be our anniversary.