One particular night stands out above all the others.
Standing on the grounds of Syracuse University Observatory under a Weeping Willow Tree, stars shinning brightly, faint warm breeze blowing-stars seem to be twinkling even brighter.
It is a warm July 1962 evening, just the two of us standing under the full moon, looking up at the stars. He asks me to sit down on the blanket that he had brought with us. He looks into my eyes-my heart still feels that same tender, warm butterflies, jumping, as if they are Mexican jumping beans, in my stomach. My eyes are getting misty. ( I have those same feelings as I am writing this today, as on that amazing July evening long ago.)
Sitting beside me, taking me in his loving arms, he does not say a word. We sit there in silence; you can faintly hear the rustling of the soft breeze blowing from the top of the Observatory hill.
Sitting there, arm and arm, he says, “I Love You; I am so happy that you were able to get your vacation on such short notice, just as I got a surprise leave out of nowhere.”
“I Love You too, there was no way that I was not going to take the opportunity to be with you. My boss was so great. We are so Blessed that we did not have to wait to October to be together”.
Gently removing his loving arms from my shoulders, he stood up and reached in his pocket-I could not see what he had.
Kneeling beside me, under the branches of the Weeping Willow tree, my Handsome Yankee Airman said the most beautiful words that this Southern Belle had ever heard, “Will You Marry Me?