I won't hold back anything
And I'll walk a way a fool or a king
Some love is just a lie of the mind
It's make believe until its only a matter of time
And some might have learned to adjust
But then it never was a matter of trust.
-Billy Joel, "A Matter of Trust"
Dan quoted these lyrics to me in anticipation of our first date: A Billy Joel Concert.
We met for 10 minutes at a theater. We then spoke for hours on the phone.
Somehow I knew that I needed to fly to New York to see him again.
Somehow he knew that it was worth pursuing a relationship with a girl in Milwaukee, even though there are hundreds of Jewish girls in New York.
We both felt the sparks in the theater, so we took the risk. We trusted our instincts that there was something special between us.
In the end, he's walking away a king (not a fool) -- and I'm his queen.
We got engaged Saturday night, in exactly the same way we met: During intermission at A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder.
"Lauren, remember how we saw this show a year ago and that I ruined the second act for you?" he asked.
"Well, you didn't exactly ruin the second act -- you made it more exciting!" I responded.
Then he got down on one knee.
"Lauren, will you marry me?"
I answered yes, of course.
I wasn't able to concentrate during the second act -- again!! But it was worth it, of course.
Interestingly enough, no one in the theater noticed the proposal. They were all wrapped up in their own business. We didn't mind -- this way, we were able to celebrate the moment more intimately.
I wasn't able to concentrate during the second act -- again!! But it was worth it, of course.
Interestingly enough, no one in the theater noticed the proposal. They were all wrapped up in their own business. We didn't mind -- this way, we were able to celebrate the moment more intimately.
My friend Whitney, who saw the show with me when I first met Dan, was there too. Dan bought three tickets, the exact three seats we sat in when our whirlwind romance began.
Whitney captured the moment in some fantastic photos:
I should mention that many of the important steps in our relationship happened in the month of Elul:
August 28, 2014: We met (3 Elul 5774)
September 17, 2014: Our first date (22 Elul 5774)
August 22, 2015: Our engagement (8 Elul 5775)
September 4, 2016: Our wedding!!!! (1 Elul 5776)
Depending on how you count sundown times, we may even be able to stretch and call our Hebrew anniversary 2 Elul -- that way, we'll be married on the two year anniversary of the day we first met! I mean, if the show started at 7pm in August, the sun was probably still out, no?
It is said that Elul is an acronym for "Ani l'dodi v'dodi li" -- I am my beloved and my beloved is mine -- a verse from the Song of Songs.
In Elul, as the #BlogElul project has demonstrated, we celebrate our ability to maintain our independence, individuality, and uniqueness. At the same time that we enter into relationships and recommit ourselves to those we love.
In Aramaic, the word Elul means "search." Elul is a time to search our hearts, to reflect on the past, and to look forward to the future.
Elul is also said to be an auspicious time for weddings. We anticipate the New Year ahead; a blank slate, just a couples bask in the newness of their lives together as husband and wife.
Next Elul, Dan and I will begin that journey.
1 comment:
I think I only quoted the first two lines of that song, honey! :)
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