According to psychology, true love brings true happiness. As the first year passed with my one and only, I realized there was nothing more I needed in life to be happy. With our one year anniversary about to arrive I needed a way to show her she is the one. I wanted to let her know she was my love, my life, my entire world. Planning was not easy, but I came up with an idea to make her heart pound for years to come.
The plan started with a quiet dinner that I would make. While this does not sound very spontaneous, my dinner was no ordinary dinner. Cherry-scented candles were a must to set the romantic mood. Along with her favorite roses on the table and a CD of all the romantic songs we’ve been through together, the scene was set perfectly.
Next was the deal breaker. I set out for this dinner to have something that other dinners did not. I succeeded in some ways and failed at others. All restaurants have menus so my dinner had a menu of its own. I rushed to the nearest Best Buy in order to purchase a program that could help me set up a menu. After importing pictures of our favorite places, her favorite musicians, and all the food and drinks I will have served, the menu was set. While this took over 3 hours to perfect (I am not established well with computers) it was well worth it as she almost cried when she saw all the work I put into it.
The food needed special attention. Dinner with so-so food is like a model in a so-so dress. It just does not work. With only 3 hours left before my love came from work I needed to act quickly. Maggiano’s Little Italy restaurant was the place we went to on our first date. Dropping by with only two and a half hour to spare I requested the exact same two dishes we ordered on that first date. Accompanied by the chocolate cake that we split, I rushed out to the grocery store to pick up her favorite drink (an unusual request of mixed Sprite and Lemonade).
Problems arise with every planned occasion. It’s a simple rule of life. Mine arose with my stereo’s power cord not working. With less then an hour left I had to once again run out to get 8 single-A batteries in order to accommodate the stereo’s needs. The music was set, the table was set, and everything looked perfect.
As I was throwing on my dress pants, 7 o’clock hit and the doorbell rang. It was an alarming sound as I have been so busy preparing I did not know if everything was perfect. I bought a black shirt, black pants, and a white tie for this evening and with the jitters in me I suddenly questioned if the outfit looked any good. She walked in, I sat her down, told her I was in love with her, and then presented the menu. Her eyes lit up and she almost cried as she was in disbelief of my efforts. She laughed and her voice trembled as she read the whole menu. Our favorite jokes, her favorite meal and drink orders, dessert, and all the events we have been through together. As she “ordered” her meal I invited her to the “dance floor” and told her every dance with her brought more life into me. We danced the night away, although it was all in the vicinity of my own home. As we finished eating and desert was on the way, the sun began to set. We fed each other chocolate cake while watching the beauty of the sun. The night was spectacular - my love is spectacular! And while the set up was extremely hard, it was well worth the effort. I am not a rich person and could never spend my one year anniversary in Hawaii or Paris, but I did the best I could and my soul mate still reads the menu whenever she needs a reminder of how much I love her.
