May 4th

May 4, 2004 fell on a Tuesday. It was the first time I saw Joe since he was hospitalized on Saturday. It was a bad day. To read about it, (and who wouldn't want to read about it after that lead up! :O) ) click here.

May 30, 1997

During my 8 year courtship with Joe, we broke up twice. The first time was the summer before his senior year of college, and my sophomore year of college. It lasted for about 3 weeks. The second time was when I was a senior in college and he was out in the real world.

I had been pressuring Joe for a ring (hmm, I am noticing a pattern.) During Christmas break Joe told me through tears that we needed to break up. He was worried that we had been together so long that maybe we were only together because it felt safe and comfortable. He was worried that we would get engaged and married and then realize that it was a mistake.

To say I was heartbroken would be an understatement. I felt like my world had fallen apart. I cried for days and days, and then I decided to stop feeling sad, and live a little. I figured if Joe and I were destined to be together we would be together.

I moved in with my friend Suzy who was going through a divorce, and we nicknamed our house the "judge me not house." Many mornings we would look at each other and say, "Judge me not." I was having a blast, and was greatly enjoying my freedom as a single woman.

I have no idea what Joe was doing during this time. We never discussed it later. I assume that he was out there dating/sleeping around a bit. This was our chance, and I like to think that we both took advantage of it.

Two months after we broke up we saw each other for the first time. When we broke up, we set the date, and agreed not to speak during the time in between.

I remember nervously pulling up to his townhouse the cold February morning. I was wearing a super short dress from Express (I had gotten very skinny after the break up, and had to flaunt it.) and I remember Joe looking me up and down as I walked towards him.

We hugged hello, and it felt like I had come home. Being single was fun and exciting, but Joe was my home. You know how when you go on vacation it's great, but getting home afterwards feels even better? That's what it was like.

We spent the day together, which led to spending the night together, which led to the day , which led to the night....You get the idea. We both knew. This was it. We were meant to be together.

Once we announced that we were officially back together (although I don't know if Joe told anyone that we had ever broken up. Brett? I know his family never knew.) it was clear that we would be getting engaged. Joe knew that I wanted to be engaged before I graduated college, because I knew I would never see most of my classmates again, and I wanted them to know that I would be marrying Joe.

Two days before graduation was a beautiful Sunday. Joe asked me if I wanted to go to the Swan Boats, one of our favorite spots when we first started dating. We arrived to find a very long line of families waiting to ride. There is little that bothers me more than waiting in a long line, so I told Joe that we should do something else, but he said he was going to talk to the people that run the boats.

He came back and told me that he inquired about us being extras in a movie that was being filmed at the Public Gardens, and that they were contacting the movie producers. He said we might as well wait in line, because we needed to wait to hear the answer anyways.

When we got to the front of the line the workers said that the movie didn't need any extras but that we could board the swan boats for free. We got on, and despite the line being super long, our swan was almost empty. There was no one in the two rows in front of us, and no one behind us. I remember thinking that it was odd.

Halfway through the boat ride Joe dropped his camera onto the floor of the boat. He got down to pick up the camera, and stayed down on one knee.

"Elizabeth Ellen S...., will you please do me the honor of becoming my wife?" Joe pulled a ring box out of his pocket and presented me with a perfect round diamond. He handed his camera to the people in the front of the boat and they took pictures of us.

Even though I knew it was coming, it still managed to surprise me.

Of course I said yes, and was able to show everyone at graduation that I was engaged. (Engaged at 22, what was I thinking????)

One year later we were married.

Today I feel so freaking homesick.

-b