Save some of that for later

This past week, I saw possibly the most romantic thing ever on the Internet: an elaborate wedding proposal that was staged by a gentleman and about 60 of his closest family and friends. He ambushed his to-be fiancée with a lip-synced theatrical street performance of Bruno Mars’s song, “Marry You.”

At the end, the guy walks up and asks for his girlfriend’s hand in marriage.

Me being the big sap that I am, I was crying about 15 seconds into the clip. By the finale, I was a blubbering mass of snot and tears muttering, “That’s just so sweet.”

Here’s the faulty logic with this well-meaning gentleman’s adorable actions: he peaked too soon. Yes, unfortunately for him, his little stunt will be almost impossible to top for the rest of his relationship. Every anniversary, holiday, birthday, or any other celebration is going to pale in comparison to this one big moment, the day he popped the question.

The moral here is to pace yourself. You have to slow down and work up to the good stuff.

I’ve probably mentioned this before, but way back when I was 17 and my husband, Chris, was 18-years-old, he asked me to marry him in ten years. See? I was excited he asked me, but mad that he thought I was going to wait around for 10 years. There was really nowhere to go but up with that beginning!

Chris has done some incredibly romantic things over the years. He once surprised me on our anniversary by having a limo pick us up and take us to Tampa for a hockey game (yes, I love hockey that much) then to the Seminole Hard Rock Casino.

The best part about pulling up to St. Pete Times Forum in a limo was that everyone in the crowd was expecting Vincent Lecavalier or Martin St. Louis to appear, but then a couple of “nobodies” from Sebring step out and the looks of disappointment on their faces were just priceless.

One Christmas, he bought me some very nice jewelry then hid it in the tree. When we all finished unwrapping our presents, he said, “Wait a second! What’s that hiding in the tree over here?”

I was shocked. It was unexpected and beautiful.

Another time, he planned a 3 day trip that included a museum and nights out and delicious restaurants. As a mom, it is nice not to have to plan anything and just be whisked away for some fun with my favorite person.

I don’t need him to do these things for me to love him, but I must admit, I do enjoy the surprises. Even now that we are on a budget, he still tries to find ways to remind me of how important I am to him.

Back to our romantic fellow from Oregon: you’re going to have to be on your best behavior. Now that you’ve busted out of the gate with this big display, scale back for a bit and do some dishes or give her a massage. In other words, lay low for a while.

I don’t know what your next move will be; maybe choreographed senior citizens dancing to Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You” or training a troop of toddlers to spell out “Let’s have a baby” with their Teddy bears.

One thing I do know for certain, that stunt you pulled will be a tough act to follow, but I’m pulling for you. Good luck!