August 19, 2025

The day I GOT ENGAGED. 

Before I continue, just look at this for a second. Scroll back up to look at it again as many times as you want; gazing at my left hand has fast become one of my favorite pastimes. 

I knew my mom had given Josh my engagement ring when we were in St. Louis (without even making him ask for it!). It belonged to my godmother's mother, whom I knew, distantly when I was small, as Aunt Clara. She got married in 1925, so it's 100+ years old. My godmother was my grandma's cousin, so she was like another grandma to me. She herself never married but had seven godchildren, two of whom are my mom and I. I rescued it from a table of mementos and mostly costume jewelry that were up for grabs after her funeral; it’s been waiting for a potential Mr. Right I thought might never materialize ever since.

I also knew he'd had The Talk with my dad. 

I wondered if he'd pop the question in Georgia: amid a bamboo forest, on a pier overlooking a lake, strolling through the quaint shops on Helen's Main St. Any of those might be considered traditional, expected proposal spots, but we were almost always not alone. 

Alas, my boyfriend and I flew out of Atlanta on a Tuesday morning. We had to go north to go south: our ~3 hour layover was at New York's John F. Kennedy Airport. I'd gotten an email from Capital One about a new flagship lounge just before our big trip, so we made a beeline for it when we landed. 

What to do/eat/try first? We opted for the "cheesemonger experience" - 45 min. of customized charcuterie spreads paired with wine that we were in no way classy enough for. Course #2 was tapas-style hot dishes from the QR code menu on the table between our swivelly armchairs. Josh jokes that I set the mood by taking him on the fanciest free date ever. Of course we pulled out our cribbage board while we were waiting, because what kind of a person travels without a cribbage board?

We moved to a quieter corner of the lounge and continued playing and talking. Out of the blue, Josh asked, "You don't like to do things by the book, do you?" Weird, but: "Nope. I don't like to be a cliché." In that moment, Josh reached into his backpack and I knew. He started with a very sweet spiel about how 1) he wouldn't have met me had he not gotten on a plane to the DR; 2) airports are a huge part of my life (spoiler alert: my 2025 count is at 71 visits); and 3) we've talked about lots of places we want to travel together. 

Lest he get in trouble with my mom and probably a whole slew of other people, he did in fact get down on one knee. I said yes...and then reminded him that he was supposed to actually put the ring ON my finger!

What now?!? We both laughed, realizing we needed to call some people, and that there must be a certain order to these things. Parents, siblings, best friends, we decided, once we could think clearly. 

I know we were gushing excitedly, but we must have been doing so loudly because the bartender walked over with two flutes of champagne. "I don't know if we overheard correctly..." We could have had all the free champagne we wanted, but it was a perfectly timed gesture. 

We made calls and began to send messages until we had to board, and later on the tarmac until we took off. I have to keep telling myself I have a fiancé, that we get to plan a wedding. Maybe it'll sink in once we have a date picked? Speaking of which, we don't. 

Many thanks to everyone who has commented, texted, Facebook messaged, emailed, or shared best wishes in person since hearing our news. As if I weren't already over the moon, the fact that such a wide cross-section of family & friends continue to share in our joy makes me even more grateful for my future husband, my future vocation as his wife and helpmate, and the God who brought us together.

I'm on a plane to Belize as I write this. Our first engaged stretch apart might be just a hair more difficult than it's been in the past, but on the other hand - literally - I have a sparkly reminder of the kind, steady, thoughtful man who'll be there waiting for me when I get home. (Go ahead: look at the ring one more time before you close this window.)

Until next time, blessings in Christ!