Dodo Eggs

My mother-in-law was strong willed, opinionated, stubborn, and vastly concerned about the well being of her daughters.  These are features that are harmless if fenced by appropriate boundaries, but I was a young suitor still working to win the favor of his girlfriend’s family.  I was putty in the wrong hands.

The original plan was straight out of my textbook.  I wrote a note in bold letters asking, “Would you marry me?”  This was slipped into an envelope with a short cut in the upper corner near the stamp.  The opening was the same diameter as the ring. 

“Ok, Mrs. Morgan, here’s what I want to do.  I’m going to mail you the letter.  Please make sure Melissa doesn’t see it.  When I get there for supper that night, I’ll take the letter and slip the ring inside it.  Then you can tell Melissa that a letter has come for her.”

The receiver was quiet for a second.  “Um, then what?”

“She’ll open it and the ring will fall out!  She’ll think I was stupid enough to mail the ring!”  I was flush with my own genius.  “So, what do you think?”

This time the receiver was quiet for two seconds.  “I don’t think that’s what Melissa would want.  Why don’t you do something more traditional?”

The plan was simplified and made stale.  Melissa and I drove to the church campus where we first kissed and I proposed there under the watchful eyes of the church security van.  Then we drove to our favorite restaurant for a romantic Italian meal that went nicely with our palpable excitement.

“You know, I had a totally different plan for asking you to marry me.”  I related my half brained idea then finished with, “But your mother thankfully talked me out of it.”

I related my plan and Melissa’s face contorted a bit.  “Well, I would have liked what you came up with, after all that’s you.”

We continued our meal.  Right before the desert, Melissa leaned toward me and said,”From here on out, let’s not have my mother co-sign on everyone of our most precious memories.”

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