A LEGO Engagement

Fade Ağustos 09, 2022

LEGO-Man and I have been together for a long time. Ever since high school we have always felt strongly that we were forever. We consciously chose to go off to college together, intentionally lived in dorms close to one another, and then after undergrad decided to live with each other full time. The next natural progression was to get married. In November 2014 I had the brilliant idea that we should get married this summer, June 2015. I wanted to only teach under my married name and I wanted to change my name and address at the same time when we move. I thought it would be easier to plan and implement while I still live in the state we are getting married. So I informed LEGO-Man that we needed to hurry up the engagement process, and we went ring shopping shortly after Christmas.

A ring was purchased, and then I panicked the next day. Planning a wedding in 6 months? Planning a wedding while student teaching and getting my Master’s Degree? Planning a wedding while looking for a job? Planning and having a wedding and then moving across the country? All of these separately sounded a little crazy, all of these put together made me realize I would need to be hospitalized when it was over. So I told LEGO-Man that we needed to wait to have the wedding, and he agreed. However, he took this to mean “no hurry actually asking her, not like we have to send out save-the-dates anytime soon.”

So he waited FOREVER. Over two months to be exact. I literally though I would explode. THE RING WAS NOT EVEN HIDDEN. He left it in our family room taunting me! I think in those 60 days there were maybe 2 days that I did not bring it up, or other people who knew the status of the ring did not ask one of us about it. I am not a patient person outside of a classroom so I was going nuts.

Finally I got home form class one Wednesday night and the apartment was clean. He took out the 8 pizza boxes we were ignoring in the kitchen, and he picked up all of the extraneous clothes that usually carpet the bedroom floor. I knew something was up.

He said he had a present for me and told me to put my hands behind my back. In my hands he put the outer ring box from the ring. I opened the box to find a LEGO mini figure (Emmit from the LEGO Movie) and a small Lego box I had lent him "just in case." I shook the little LEGO box and it didn't rattle. In the box was a piece of computer paper with a heart drawn on the front and inside it just said "I love you -Jared" (This was a reference to a Nick Offerman joke that is featured in both in his book, and in his standup routine. It's one of my favorites.). He said that's it I just wanted you to know I love you, and he got SOO kissed (Also a reference to the joke. Go to Netflix and watch the standup, or go to the library and read the book. It's good.)

Then he said no really here is your real present and hands me a collectable Lego minifigure mystery pack. We get these for each other for every major gift giving holiday and just because sometimes. I ripped it open and saw something decidedly sparklier than a LEGO part mixed in with all of the plastic parts. I pulled out the ring and a little note that said, "Will you marry me?" and kissed him and said yes!

Then he went back to his computer and played video games while I wrote my lesson plan for the next day. Eventually I called our parents who were happy, and not at all surprised (They all knew the ring had been bought). I sent a picture of the ring to one of our old high school teachers whom we both love, she said that she was literally screaming with excitement and had scared her husband. And that is the full story. Now the wedding planning begins.