Did You Know I Wrote A Book?

Did I ever tell you that I wrote a book?

Yes, me, the antithesis of all things literary.  Catch your breath.  

On this day, one year ago, I asked my best friend if she would consider spending the rest of her life with me.  Many of you know the story, at least the synopsis, but many of you don't.  So on this day, the one-year anniversary, I thought I'd share a little behind the scenes reflection.

Sarah has a love for books, more specifically a love for good stories.  She also loves love.  And if both literature and love can be intertwined, then we have a recipe for a happy Sarah.  I knew this about her and it was my plan all along to propose through paragraphs of well-articulated and meaningful love.

Months before I planned to propose, Sarah and I had a conversation about engagement.  She talked briefly about the necessary details for a meaningful proposal until I cut her off and said, "I know how I'd propose to you."   I won't tell you how early in our relationship the proposal conversation happened, but here's the proof:

At another point in our relationship, after Sarah recommended I read an incredibly sad book, we had this conversation:

We went on to joke about what the chapter titles for our hypothetical short story.  So, it seemed obvious to me how I should propose: write a book.  

For two months prior to the engagement I spent many (late) hours writing the chapters of our relationship.  That book led me to the most confident and anxiety-filled moment of my life.  As certain as I was that she would say 'yes,' I was equally terrified that the moment would fall flat.   

Alas, she said 'yes,' and I am so incredibly blessed that she did!  

So, to celebrate the anniversary of our engagement, I am offering the prologue to my our book, It's a Love Story.

            There are few things in life worth waking up and actually getting out of bed for.  Of course I don’t mean the unavoidable things like a full bladder, fire drill, tornado siren, gunshot, antsy dog, or nightmare.  I mean the few things in life that warm my heart more than any down, duvet, or Egyptian cotton ever could.  I mean the things that cause my heart to skip.  The things that give me reason to start a new day.  The things that give my life, my soul, even my love a purpose and meaning.  The things that render me speechless–not because I’m at a loss for words–but because in that moment there is no medium well equipped enough to help me express how I feel. 

            This is a story not only about those things but about the moments too.  It is about the moments that leave me breathless and speechless.  It is about the moments that say everything and nothing all at the same time.  It is about the moments—the good and the bad—that bring two people closer than any analogy ever can.  This is a story about the moments: the moment I met her, the moment I said hello, the moment my eyes got lost in hers, the moment our fingers interlocked for the first time, the moment she took my breath away, the moment I couldn’t shut up, the moment on the porch, in the car, with families, in the theater—in the moment.  The moment I knew. We knew.  The moments we are yet to have.

            If I had even the slightest glimpse of what these moments could feel like prior to that warm August day in 2013, I would have met her sooner.  Some way, some how, I would’ve chased her down.  They, whoever they is, always say, “When you know, you know,’ and I knew.  We knew.  And on that warm August day, in that moment I met her, that moment which gave me a reason to crawl out of bed, every possible ‘moment’ experience in my life up until that point faded away.  And I knew. We knew.  We were going to share in the moments.

            This is our story.