[At Como Park, St. Paul, Minnesota, on October 13, 2021]
By Becky
It didn’t take us long to realize we’re meant for each other.
Our first date was August 5, 2021, at Coon Rapids Regional Dam for a concert in the park. In fact, four of our first five dates were at a park. Our third date was a concert in the park in Elk River. Our fourth date was eating Chipotle next to the Andrews Park splash pad in Champlin. And our fifth date was at Peninsula Point Park in Anoka at the confluence of the Rum and Mississippi Rivers.
By that time, we knew that our relationship had definite possibilities. But as the pragmatic woman I am, I didn’t want to devote my time to a relationship that wasn’t headed for marriage. So I decided to lay all my cards on the table and to ask the same of Bob. That’s expecting a lot from a magician! We sat at a picnic table and talked about deal-breakers. Try as we might, we couldn’t come up with any red flags. As we left that day, all signs pointed toward a long and committed future together.
Before I started seeing Bob, I hadn’t dated since my divorce in 2013. In fact, one night in mid-July as I sat on a garden bench in my friend Lauralee’s front yard, I told her and Connie that I wasn’t interested in dating or marrying again unless God brought me a true soulmate.
Evidently, God interpreted that as a prayer. A couple of weeks later, I got an email from Bob inviting me to a bonfire at his house.
As Bob and I continued getting to know each other, we were astounded at how compatible we are. Soon we acknowledged that we’re soulmates–and after that, marriage was the natural path. Only the logistics remained to be figured out.
Although we both have our practical sides, we’re romantics at heart–especially Bob. We shopped for a ring and found one that I fell in love with. When it had been sized and was ready to pick up, Bob didn’t want to put it on my finger at the jewelry store. I suggested going to Como Park, which was just minutes away. I arranged for a student from Mid-Metro Academy to photographically capture the event.
Rain and thunderstorms threatened to spoil the occasion, but we proceeded with our plan since the forecast called for late afternoon sunshine. The sky was dark when we entered the jewelry store but lighter when we left. By the time we reached Como Park, the sun was peeking out from behind the dispersing clouds.
We stood at the Exedra and dropped a few coins into the wishing well. We called those wishes prayers.
After that, I sat on a stone bench in front of a rugged rock wall backed by greenery. Bob dropped to one knee. He asked the question that had only one possible answer: an exuberant yes!
Our photographer arrived, and we re-enacted the scene. She also took some great shots of us in the Exedra and in front of the Frog Pond. When we complimented her photography skills, she said the chemistry between us made it easy.
Chemistry? Yeah, chemistry.
Oh … about the Frog Pond. The stone frog and stylized lily pads are just as I remember them when as a little girl of five I sat on the grassy bank with my parents and siblings for a Sunday afternoon picnic. How fitting for that frog to witness the day that made grown-up Becky the happiest woman on the planet!