Everybody always asks us what that little paper is inside the black frame above our bed when they see it. It's always nice to relive the best night of my life when explaining it to somebody.
The night Ron and I became boyfriend and girlfriend, I freaked out a little... Ok, A LOTTLE.
He kept telling me that he wanted to just make it official, but I kept giving him excuses as to why we couldn't. I don't blame myself for being so scared and he didn't blame me either. He understood that I had just gotten out of a really unhealthy relationship and that I had never seen a real couple last.
He saw through all of my prideful walls and saw a broken girl hoping for a happy ending.
And he really wanted to give me one.
We were driving for quite some time and he found a parking lot for us to sit in. While sitting in his car discussing our future, he opened his glove compartment and rummaged through some papers in there. Then he pulled out a receipt.
It was a receipt from Market Basket. He had went shopping for food so he could take me on the most romantic picnic. It was such a sweet memory. He quickly turned the receipt over and said some words I'll never forget.
"I was raised to be a man of integrity and I want to prove to you that I am one. I want to write you vows. I want to promise you things and sign my name, so you know I'll never leave you or give up on you."
He began to write things like "I'll always find you beautiful. I'll always pray for you. I'll always put Christ first. I'll never run", and I began to just melt in the passenger seat. Then he started to read them to me out loud and he took a pen and signed his name.
What in the world...
After seeing him do this, I promised him all of the same things and signed my name on the piece of paper too.
We both started laughing and then he asked me if I knew where I was. To my surprise, we were in front of a Church.
He ran to my side of the car to open my door and then ran to the front of the church building with my hand in his. He told me that he wasn't just promising me all of these things in front of me, but in front of God.
He kissed me, then backed up, and then a big fat "I love you" fell out of his mouth.
I remember smiling that night, from the depths of my soul. He carried me back to the car like a bride and from then on, we had each other's hearts.
For many reasons, I counted that night more important and more beautiful than the day we actually had our wedding. When all I saw was a mess when I looked in a mirror, he saw a mountain of potential. And he stayed true to his words. Every single one of them.
So whenever we argue in our bedroom or if we are just annoyed at each other, one of us will point to the old rugged receipt with faded ink in that frame. Then one of us smiles. And our problems just fade away like the world faded away on that beautiful night.