November 18, 2003 (11-18) at 11:18 PM was the beginning of many wonderful and exciting things to come in our two lives. The night went like this…
For a night in mid-November the weather was great. It was warmer then average, but still coat-bearing weather. As per my "plan," we journeyed down to the Mall in Washington, D.C. We walked around hand-in-hand, all the while enjoying the way the man-made lighting as it complemented the monuments in the dark of night. It was late on a Tuesday evening so the Mall was like a ghost town, which made it feel as if we had it all to ourselves.
We made our way over to the front steps of the U.S. Capitol. Sitting on the edge of the water fountain with the Capitol to our backs and the Mall laid out in front of us, we commented on the wonderful night view with the Lincoln Memorial hiding behind the Washington Monument.
I chose this specific place on the steps of the U.S. Capitol because, as many of our nations most important decisions are made there everyday, I could not think of a better place to make one of THE most important decisions of my life. In the end, weighing on Chrissy’s answer, it would be a great decision to be made by both of us.
I had found a wonderful card that must have been written just for me (it wasn’t, but the card was the perfect written expression of my feelings). Inside the card, I added a short description of my feelings for the love of my life. The card was complimented with a small gift-wrapped present about the size of a small book. In fact, it was a small book titled "God’s Promises." As, Chrissy unwrapped the ‘present’, I eagerly watched. She was delighted by the book, which was a daily devotional of God’s promises, one for every day of the year.
I first asked her to turn to January 1. For that day it stated, "He who has promised is faithful," followed by a brief description of the quote. I then asked her to turn to February 1. What came next was the most enjoyable event of the evening and the entire purpose for the night. Crafting a secret pocket in the middle of the book by removing a small square of the pages from February to the end of November. I lined the pocket with red velvet and a gold tassel to which I had tied the engagement ring. I also placed a small drop of glue to the top page so that Chrissy had to pull to expose the hidden compartment.
As soon as she noticed the ring, I moved down to one knee in front of her. I told her that just as God promised to be faithful, so do I promise to be faithful and I would love to spend the rest of my life with her. I then asked, "Will you marry me?" She started to cry and softly said, "Yes." I removed the ring from the tassel, placed it on her finger and held her in my arms for what felt like forever.
This night would be the first night to many "new beginnings!!!"
Christine Dale,
Arlington, VA
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