When I called mom and told her I found the one, I heard the phone drop. It seems at age 47 she may have not believed I was ever going to find the one. In what seemed like a whirlwind Debra and I had two round trip tickets to Detroit to meet the family. Upon arrival the feeling was kind of like going back to an employer to get your last paycheck after making a career move.
My new stepfather and Debra were debating anything and everything all the way to Pleasant Lake, a hour away from the airport. Once at their cottage it didn't stop until we retired for the evening. At bedtime, Debra and I felt the next morning it was best to go to a hotel.
That morning I got up early to do some fishing. Pleasant Lake is beautiful in the morning with the sunrise, fish jumping and fog dissipating from the water. I felt bad I could not have shared this place with Debra. When I came inside, mom was sitting crying on the sun porch. I felt she was going to give us the bad news that it was best that we left. Instead she was crying because she had her mom's engagement ring. My grandma had wanted me to have it if I ever found the one. Grandma was my favorite person on earth. We had spent a lot of time together due to health problems at a similar time. I got better - she didn't.
Mom handed me the ring box and told me that her and Don were up most of the night talking about Debra. They felt if I did not marry her I was a complete fool. I could have this ring under the following conditions. That I propose to Debra here. That I allow her to purchase a necklace, so that Debra could wear the ring while attending to clients doing massage therapy.
Overwhelmed from the love of my grandma and mom I teared up. When I was able to see I noticed Debra had entered the sun porch. In a wave of emotion I dropped to my knee and proposed. Again teared up I couldn't see. When I could see Debra and mom were both teared up. Debra said yes.
The rest of the weekend was a blur. When we got on the plane I told the stewardess that I just recently got engaged and she announced it to the whole plane.
If I have any advice to lonely hearts out there, please be patient and wait for the one. The slings and arrows of life are a lot easier with someone you truly love.
