Category: Proposal

It still feels so unreal I’m not sure I didn’t dream this up.

I know that the idea of spending the rest of my life with Denice came early in our relationship, but I decided that I would not allow myself to think about it until we had passed the 100 day mark. I know it sounds arbitrary, but I figured that giving ourselves at least three months would put some kind of sanity control on the whole thing. Before I go any further I will have to tell that already after less than 2 weeks together people assumed we had been married for a long time, so I was not the only one who had thoughts in this direction.

Anyway, after Denice’s birthday, which was very close to our 100^th “dieversary”, I was out shopping, and while I was looking for something completely different I found this little game called “Boater’s Knot Tying Kit.” I thought it was funny, since I like boats a lot and have sailed across the Atlantic, so I bought it with the intent that I should give it to Denice. Maybe as an unbirthday present. But I didn’t know when would be the perfect time to give it to her.

As my idea of proposing grew stronger I suddenly remembered the knot tying kit. I started composing little texts in my head where I would ask if Denice wanted to tie the knot with me. As days went on the idea got more and more solid, and one day after driving home from work I decided that I would pop the question. Mind you, I didn’t have a ring or anything at the time, just the knot tying kit.

On my way home I stopped at several stores to find a suitable card to write my little proposal in, but to my surprise I couldn’t find any. None of the cards in the store were appropriate for my purpose. Too silly, too serious, too romantic. I just couldn’t get the right tone. Once again I was unsure of how to ask, or whether to wait a bit longer or…

I got home and decided it had to be done here or now. I walked into our little office, took a letter sized paper, folded it in half twice and then wrote my little proposal text and drew a very simple picture on the front. I also wrapped the knot tying kit with her wrapping paper. Then I walked out to Denice in the living room and put the little packet and my flimsy home made card on the table as nonchalantly as I could. My heart was beating really fast while she opened the present and then the card. She looked at me for an eternity (or about a second) before she said “YES” and got up and we hugged.

Henrik’s proposal was poetically innocently perfect for me.

I was working at my laptop on the dining room table one day when Henrik came home. As I was working, I had an awareness that he disappeared into the spare bedroom for quite some time which was odd, but I thought maybe he went in there to work or make a quiet phone call.

When he came out, he nonchalantly laid something next to my computer. It was a handmade card folded out of typing paper on top of a gift wrapped box. Being the wordsmith that he is, in the card he asked “would you like to tie the knot with me?” and said “I’ll ‘ring’ you later.” I opened the package and was holding a Boaters’ Knot Tying Kit. That was my exciting and unexpected marriage proposal.

Shortly after that we had a nice dinner and I went for a shower and as I was getting out of the shower he came in with my favorite cocktail in hand, a cantaloupe martini, and said he loved me and looked forward to taking care of me for the rest of his life.

I’m thinking I’m probably the luckiest girl in the world.