I first met Mary on April 22nd, 2023 (yes I know the exact date). I also know the exact place: the Biggby Coffee Shop in Clio, Michigan, just off the I-75 interchange. Little did either of us know it would be the start of a love story.

Not too long before, I was working at a hardware store, exploring my next move in life, after having left Mundelein Seminary after six years of study in preparation for the Catholic priesthood. After careful discernment and prayer, I felt that I was no longer called to pursue priesthood, and meant to pursue a different path in life. Shortly after the first of the year, I left seminary, returned home to Michigan, and started a job at the local hardware store. At that time, I knew I had a secondary career aspiration to First Responder work, but honestly was not sure what avenue I wanted to pursue.

Sharing this aspiration with my sister Rachael, she mentioned she had a friend who was an EMT. She said her friend's name was Mary, whom she had met several times at a local young adults group. She said that Mary might be interested in answering the questions I had about Emergency Medicine. After consulting Mary, she agreed to set us up so that she could answer questions I had about the job. She also stated that Mary "wouldn't mince words, and she'd be brutally honest about the job." I could definitely appreciate that, so Rachael made introductions over Facebook Messenger.

Talking with Mary over Messenger, she kept her promise about being "brutally honest" about the difficulties and rewards working as an EMT. I was immediately struck by her candor, her confidence, and her humor. So much so in fact, that I actively was thinking of new questions to ask her, just to keep the conversation alive. In hindsight, some of my questions probably were a bit silly and inconsequential.

After a few weeks of back-and-forth on Messenger, Mary agreed to meet me to discuss EMS further with her. We decided on Biggby of Clio as a halfway point between us. I arrived earlier than she, and began working at class work for EMT academy. Mary arrived shortly thereafter, walked through the door and went to order her coffee. From that moment, I knew I was in trouble. She was incredibly attractive. I thought to myself "oh boy, okay here we go." She met me at the table, introduced herself, and sat down.

After that, I don't remember much of the conversation. All I know is that we suddenly looked at our phones to find that three hours had passed by! I guess you could say that we "clicked." Mary would tell me months later that I was easy to talk to, although a bit "goofy." All I know is that I was captivated. In an attempt to keep it cool, I thanked her for her time, and we parted ways. The drive home was a mix of emotions. I knew I had to learn more about this girl. Keeping the almost daily chat alive over text (yeah, I got her number). We met once more for drinks before I officially asked her out on a date. I remember leaving the bar, walking her to her car and suggested we should do it again sometime. I got in my car and paused. Maybe it was the bit of liquid courage talking, but I said to myself "well, f*** it." I got out of my car, walked over to her. She rolled down the window. In some words, I said I had a great time, that I liked her, and that next time I wanted to take her on a real date. To which she (thankfully) agreed.

The texts became more frequent, more personal. And the dates became more fun, more familiar, as we each became more comfortable with each other. Towards July, I suggested we become an item, to see what an exclusive relationship might look like. Well, she had to think and pray about it. She left for Greece on pilgrimage. And I was at home, wondering what her answer might be when she returned.

We had a date set for July 9th after she returned from Greece, expecting her answer to the dreaded "what are we" question. After an altogether nice date, I took her to a local park for a walk, and then drinks on the tailgate of my truck while we watched the sunset. That sunset, she agreed to be my girlfriend. The follow week, we met each other in northern Michigan for a young adult camping trip. Ironically, Mary had planned on going to this camping trip with her friend to "meet guys." That weekend stands out as incredibly special. We watched the sunsets and star-gazed most every night, and spent our days together.

Over the course of the year, our dates became more familiar. I was finishing my EMT academy studies, and Mary was studying to obtain her paramedic license. Our dates became study sessions with fun activities afterwards. Much of this time was simply getting to become more familiar with each other, asking the important questions, and spending time with each other. We did the typical things: meet the families, spend the holidays with each other, etc.

Now for the proposal story!

I don't remember exactly when I knew she "was the one." It was steady and natural like that. Mary and I both knew we were headed that way. I had brought up the idea several times, and we both were on the same page. I made her aware that a proposal would come sometime in the summer of 2024. She knew I was looking into rings, and even had gone shopping with her to get her style and size, but she ultimately wanted the ring to be a surprise. I bought the ring from Saginaw Gold and Diamond, the same place my dad had bought my mom's ring some 27 years before.

We had plans to go up north to her family's lake house for Fourth of July Weekend 2024. I knew this was where I'd propose. Mary had previously told me that there was an old ski resort which overlooked Hubbard Lake (Mt. Maria), offering a beautiful view of the lake, and a spectacular sunset. Mary had told me that she remembers climbing Mt. Maria as a child. However, she hadn't been up there in years, since the property had changed hands. I did some digging, and was able to get in contact with the current property owner, who agreed to allow me access onto the property for the proposal. Next step was to obtain additional help from the family. I enlisted the help of Caitlin and Matthew, Mary's sister and brother-in-law. We need to somehow get champagne, flowers, and the ring up to Mt. Maria without Mary suspecting anything. On July 4th, just before sunset, we hopped in my truck to spend some "grown-up sibling time" out on the town...or so Mary was led to believe. Well, Mary was too smart for that ruse. She had painted her nails and dressed nicely, suspecting tonight was the proposal. I took the turn onto Mt. Maria road, with a cooler of flowers and champagne in the truck bed, and the ring in my pocket. Mary would later tell me that while she had caught onto the ruse pretty early, she did not at all expect to be going up to Mt. Maria. We walked the grassy knoll to the top of Mt. Maria and spent time enjoying the view. When her back was turned, I got down on one knee. To my joy, and after fumbling some of my words, she said "YES." We celebrated with champagne on top of that mountain, with Fourth of July fireworks starting to rise in the sky.

The rest is history. Mary and I are planning our wedding and cannot wait for the big day! We are incredibly excited to share our big day with you, and are so grateful for your support!