For my birthday weekend, Kevin and I traveled to Manson, Iowa for his niece’s first birthday. On Saturday morning, Kevin came and sat next to me at the kitchen table. After a minute of chit-chat, Kevin turned to me and asked, “Do you want your birthday present now?” I said, “Sure.” Kevin told me that my birthday gift was in the car and that I needed to go outside.
Kevin climbed down the few stairs and to the trunk of his car. Out comes a long, narrow, rectangular box that stood to my waist. I kept staring at the box, the wheels in my mind turning, searching for what could possibly be inside the box. Kevin placed it next to me, telling me to open in. I ripped the wrapping paper off the top of the box and opened the flaps to see a circular black handle. I pulled out the handle to reveal a yellow umbrella.
*BACKGROUND*
One of our favorite shows is How I Met Your Mother. The main character, Ted, is telling his children the story of how he met their mother. He tells them the story in the year 2030. He flashes back to the present time as he tells the story. One reoccurring theme is that he had ran into his future wife before, who has a yellow umbrella. They reference this yellow umbrella multiple times throughout the different seasons.
As I realized what it was, I immediately made the connection to the show. My mind began racing, “Is this is? Could this be it?” He asked me what did the umbrella remind me of and I told him the show. Kevin asked, “What does the yellow umbrella represent.” I told him, “His future wife.” Kevin added, “It represents the mother of his future children.”
Kevin asked me to open the umbrella. My hands were shaking and my brain could not comprehend exactly what he wanted me to do. Kevin had to help me open the umbrella. Once the umbrella was opened, I immediately saw a ring tied to one of the spokes. I was speechless.
As Kevin untied the ring, he told me, “I haven’t always been looking for a girlfriend, or just a wife. I have been looking for the mother of my future children, and I found her.” Kevin got down on one knee, took my hands in his and asked, “Will you go to the temple and marry me for eternity?” I whispered, “Absolutely.”
