The Engagement Ring that Never Was

People are getting engaged every day, and boyfriends are constantly thinking of the most creative ways to pop the question. A few days ago, I got the call from my younger sister, who sat me down yesterday to tell me the whole story. I feel compelled to share my sister’s story with you because, while most engagement stories are sap tales that hug your heart, this one left me in absolute hysterics and has an important message that you may want to hear.

Amy and Mike have been dating for 3 years. She was immediately fascinated by his adventurous personality. He made her face challenging fears that she never thought she’d do, like, for example, jumping out of an airplane 13,000 ft up in the sky. After only a month of dating, Mike took Amy for her first jump, something he had been doing for years. She told me that there’s no bonding experience quite like it that can bring to people closer together.

Clearly, the date was a success, since they always talk about that experience and how amazing it was. So, it came as no surprise to me that this is how Mike decided to propose.
Mike told Amy that they were going skydiving because he needed a rush. It had been a while since his last jump, and he wanted her to come with him. So, they went, got on the plane, and 15 minutes later, they were sitting on the edge about to jump into thin air and the most important question still remained to be asked.

And then they went. Amy took the first few seconds to get adjusted to falling through the sky, and then her attention turned to Mike, who was holding a beautiful engagement ring between his index finger and thumb. He had written “will you marry me?” on the palm of the other hand. She couldn’t resist the temptation to reach for him, and he the same for her. The excitement of the proposal combined with flying through thin air, however, was too much for Mike to handle, and before he knew it, the ring was gone, falling aimlessly to its own destiny.

Almost like clockwork, it was suddenly time to pull the parachutes. There’s nothing like waiting 7 minutes floating in the sky, wondering if your girlfriend will say yes to the most important question you’ve ever asked, or realizing you’ve just dropped a large diamond investment 13,000 ft from the ground.

Well, 7 minutes went by and felt like an eternity for the two, but they managed to get down on the ground and Amy of course, accepted. And then it was time to find the ring. Amy was running around frantically, excited that she’s engaged to the love of her life, but more than anxious to get what every girl gets when asked the question. She was freaking out, thinking the ring was lost forever, and she’d be the girl who got engaged without being able to parade around with a diamond on her finger. When she realized Mike seemed too calm to have just lost something worth thousands and thousands of dollars such sentimental value, she started to yell at him uncontrollably.

Well, Mike, what a clever guy he is. He sat her down and held her hand, which was now shaking out of shock and fury, and said, “Sweetie, calm down, that was just a decoy ring. Here, will you marry me?” And with that, he pulled out the most beautiful diamond engagement ring she had ever seen. A splendid 2 karat princess cut, set on a white gold band, with 2 smaller diamonds on either side of the shining jewel – it was a ring fit for royalty and everything she could have imagined.

So, Mike and I offer you a piece of advice today. If you are planning on proposing at any elevated location, a bridge, the sky, or the penthouse balcony, you may want to think twice about pulling out the real thing when popping the question. Allow the moment to be stress-free so all you have to focus on is the girl of your dreams accepting you as her man. And that the beautiful ring you just bought her will actually make it onto her finger.