Engaged in Hawaii
One of my lifelong dreams came true. Something I thought would never happen after my spinal cord injury. I got ENGAGED!
My partner and I met about eleven months ago on a dating app called Hinge. I know people have mixed feelings about online dating, but in my experience, I have found it beneficial for my situation.
We hit it off right away. After talking over text for a few weeks, we decided to meet each other in person. She came over to my apartment, and we talked for four hours. It was the best date I have ever been on and the conversation flowed the entire time. She was easy to talk to, and I felt safe with her. Something was different about her. She had never dated someone in a chair before.
She was curious and a little hesitant but open to seeing where things go. She is a single mom with a 7-year-old daughter. This was new to me, and I was hesitant on my end because I know a relationship with a spinal cord injury is a lot of work in itself. Then add in a child, it would be more challenging. However, both of us were attracted to each other, curious and open to seeing where things went.
That was all we needed. From day one, we have been on the same page about our core values and the goals we want to achieve in life. Our goals and values aligned with each other, and I could see her maturity. One of the many things that stood out to me about her was her ability to communicate with me. I believe our relationship is what it is today because of how well we communicate with each other.
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Two weeks ago, I went to Kauai with my family and girlfriend. I knew I wanted to propose to her in Hawaii but wasn't sure if I would be able to afford a ring on time after paying for my part of the trip. I believe God's favor was on my side because I reached the goal I wanted in only three months. It still puzzles me how fast I got money to pay for the ring I wanted for her.
In Kauai, there is this beautiful tourist spot called Waimea Canyon. It is like the Grand Canyon but in Hawaii. Thankfully, when we got there, it was not very crowded. I told her to look out toward the canyon so I could get a picture of her. While she was facing forward with her back toward me, thinking I was taking a picture. I rolled up behind her with the ring in my hand, and when she turned around, I asked her the question. She was shocked and said yes.
It was an amazing moment I will never forget. Everything went smoothly, and after we took pictures and started to leave, two buses full of tourists showed up in the parking lot. Another sign to me that God’s favor was with me. We are moving fast and don’t want to be engaged long. We will be getting married this October and are so excited.
If you are reading this and feel like this will never happen to you, you are not alone. I felt the same way. Continue working on yourself, be confident, and the right person will come along when the time is right. Never give up.