"In that book which is my memory,

On the first page of the chapter that is the day when I first met you,

Appear the words, ‘Here begins a new life’"

                                                   

                                                                            - Dante Alighieri

    

     Five years ago Jen and I stood before family, friends, and God to declare our love for each other and make our new life official.  It hardly seems possible that we've been married that long, and yet it feels like it has been much longer as well.  As an anniversary is a time to look back at what has been, I thought that I might surprise my wife with a bit of reminiscing.  Jen loves to ask me to tell her stories about things we've done, so I decided to share with you the story of our engagement.  

     Jen and I met in May of 2004.  Jen doesn't completely believe me, but I knew by the end of the first day that she was the woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.  Four weeks after we started dating, Jen gave me a card with a slip of paper inside.  Jen explained to me that she had written down the attributes of her "perfect man" several years earlier and then placed the slip of paper inside of her Bible.  She had decided that these six attributes were essential in the man that she would marry.  Jen gave me that piece of paper and told me that I was the only man she had ever met who had met all of her criteria.  I realized that Jen had given me more than a slip of paper, and I have done my best every day since to make sure that I live up to her intuitions.

     Five weeks after we met, Jen called me and told me that she had been "window shopping" with my cousin (her roommate).  Amber was looking at engagement rings, and Jen thought it would be fun to try some on as well.  One in particular caught her eye, and she wanted to show it to me that weekend.  She had made sure to get all the information, and I asked her for the stock number so that I could try to view it online.  That night, I got to thinking about why Jen was looking at rings and why I wasn't bothered by the idea.  I talked to my father about it, and he suggested that I probably wasn't bothered by Jen's "window shopping" because I was ready for it.  The next night I went to Zales Jewelry here in Green Bay and left with the ring.  

     I got to thinking about how I would propose to Jen, and when.  I came up with all sorts of elaborate plans but none of them felt right.  Jen had picked a simple ring with a modest stone.  I decided to take my cue from the ring.  That very weekend I drove to Minneapolis with the ring in my car and a simple plan in mind.  

     On Saturday morning Jen and drove to the jewelry store and looked at the ring that she liked.  I acted a little disinterested, but complimented her on the ring.  The afternoon was going to be spent at the Minnetonka Center for the Arts where Jen worked.  We had signed up for a couples painting class.  Whether by luck or design, a traffic jam on the interstate left us as the only couple in the class.  We spent two hours painting together.  When the class was finished, I suggested that we go for a walk in the Noerenberg Gardens down the road on Lake Minnetonka.  

     Jen and I had a special bench under a grape arbor that we liked to sit on whenever we visited the gardens.  We sat on the bench and talked a bit.  I had brought a small bouquet of roses with us, and Jen asked me what they were for.  There were six white roses surrounding a single, red rose.  I told her that each of the roses represented one of the items on the list she had given me.  I recited each one for her to show her I understood how important that little slip of paper was.  The red rose, I told her, represented my love for her.  My life had changed so much in six weeks, and I could not imagine a future that didn't have her in it.  I then slipped down on one knee and pulled the ring out of my pocket.  I asked her if she would be my wife, and she said that she would.

     I have to say, I really enjoy the look I get from people when I tell them that I dated my wife for six weeks before proposing to her.  We are taught early in life that it is dangerous to be impulsive, and that big decisions need to be thought out thoroughly.  For the most part it is wise to practice what we were taught.  This time was the exception.  It is true that Love is patient, but it is also true that Love is great.  I love my wife far more today than I did on July 10th, 2004, or on August 6th, 2005.  Anniversaries are a time to look forward.  The last five years have taught me that the love I have for my wife will only grow stronger.  Happy Anniversary, Honey.  I love you.  

                                                                                             All of my love,

                                                                                             Aaron