Ever been a part of something so much bigger than you originally thought it was?
I have. I had just observed the perfect moment. I witnessed pure joy between two people who not only love each other, but the life they have created together.
Then I stepped back and looked at what I had really just watched and what it took to get to that moment.
Through months of planning and well-kept secrets, I was able to watch two of my very good friends get engaged this past weekend.
It was an amazing feeling being able to see two people so in love take the next step in their relationship.
Sure, engagements happen all the time. And like many, this engagement was well thought out and had a lot of support behind it.
I’m not talking about just the support of their friends and family, but the support of thousands across the country – the majority who didn’t even know it was happening.
There had been months of planning and secret keeping for this particular engagement. But there had been previous years of hard work from many individuals to get to this point.
It wasn’t until 2005 that same-sex marriage was legal in Canada – making us only the fourth country in the world to approve of these unions.
Of course she said yes!
I met up with my friends, former Flin Flonner Lacey Hughes and Laura Cammidge, who both live in Saskatoon, for what would be an unforgettable night.
I watched as Laura got down on one knee in front of Lacey and asked her to marry her. Of course she said yes! It gave me goose bumps then and continues to now. That’s the feeling when you know something has happened for all the right reasons.
I was so happy for both of my girls I couldn’t wait to talk about what I had known was happening all along.
We celebrated, hugged and shared a few tears. There was even a celebratory drink for the momentous occasion.
The proposal
Now, I had said there was a lot of thought and planning that went into this proposal. And trust me, there was.
Terri Clark was playing in Prince Albert – that’s a big name for a small city. The Canadian country artist’s tickets went up for sale and I knew instantly that I was going along with my two friends.
I’ve been a big fan of Terri’s for quite some time now, so there was no question in my mind that I would be driving the “short” distance to see her. And, knowing that Lacey was as big of a fan, I knew the trip from Saskatoon wasn’t going to be an issue.
I was told about the surprise proposal plans a few months ago and how Laura was going to pop the question at Terri’s concert.
Plans were well underway as Laura secured herself two meet and greet passes – unbeknownst to Lacey. While we waited for the doors to open, Laura handed over the meet and greet pass.
Lacey was so surprised and at a loss for words. She was going to meet Terri Clark. Little did she know, there were still big plans in store.
So, as Lacey was having her picture taken with Terri, Laura dropped to one knee and popped the big question.
Tears streamed down as she said yes, a smile permanently etched on her face. Terri was clearly thrilled to be part of such a big moment – she literally jumped in circles from excitement. We celebrated some more.
Then we took our seats – in the front row – and watched as Terri performed for 90 minutes. At one point in her set, she acknowledged the proposal and dedicated “Now That I Found You” to the couple. Everyone cheered.
More to the story
Now, as I write this I realize there is so much more to this story than the big step of two people getting engaged. First, it was a public engagement; it was a public engagement of two women.
Following all the celebratory hugs there was a joke: “What if I had of said no?” Well, that would have been awkward since there was no backup plan.
All jokes aside, in 2014 it’s still risky for two women (or two men) to make such a public move, to announce their relationship with such pride.
Granted, it appears it has gotten easier in some situations over the years, but as a member of society it’s easy to see it is still hard for so many people to live their lives.
It’s love. It’s a pretty simple concept. You love whom you love.
