My 18th Birthday--An Epoch in My Life

My birthday is soon approaching.  I've had many memorable birthday celebrations.  Some have been outstanding.  I always loved the fact that I had a summer birthday so I was never in school for it.  That seemed like a gift in itself.

As I was growing up, my mother never did the little kid birthday thing.  She always maintained that our own family plus an adored aunt and uncle who lived nearby were enough people to help celebrate The Day, not to mention that a housefull of squealing little children was not my mother's cup of tea!  When I got older, my parents took me out to dinner at a very nice restaurant and this was a special treat.

One of my most truly memorable birthdays was my 18th birthday.  My beau and I had spent a great day at the beach we frequented several times in the summer.  Later in the evening he took me out to dinner at our favorite Chinese restaurant, The Dragon East.  This was no fly-by-night little joint but rather, a very nice, large place with a full bar.  A class act!  This was the kind of place where the drinks were loaded up with lots of fruit and colorful paper parasols and had fun names like "Zombies", "Lovers' Potion" and the like.  We loved this place!  We went there a lot and became very well known.

At one point early in the evening I went off to the ladies room.  When I returned there was a mysterious silvery covered little dish sitting at my place setting.  It was the kind of dish on a raised pedestal in which many Chinese dishes used to be served.  What do you suppose was inside?  I knew we hadn't ordered any dinner as yet.  I sat back down, lifted the lid and found a small square black box.  I opened the box and there, nestled within, was the most exquisite, shining engagement ring full of hopes and dreams you could possibly imagine.  I suspected this might be my gift; the promise of a happy, love-filled lifetime to come but such is never a sure thing until you see the ring and hear the words, "Will you marry me?"

Of course I would and as of that moment, it was official; our intention to spend the rest of our lives together was concrete.  We were both ecstatic and giddy with delight in each other and the prospect of being together for the rest of our lives.  Thoughout this exchange of plighting our troth, an audience had been gathering behind a latticed screen.  They seemed to approve because my acceptance of the ring was met with much cheering and enthusiasm.  A little boy ran up to our table and bestowed upon us a pile of plastic leis, assorted trinkets and paper ornaments.

My parents and big sister must've gotten a prior head's up as to the surprise of the evening because after dinner we went to my oldest sister's house for a small family celebration.  She had made a beautifully decorated cake for us and sparkling wine flowed freely.  Such a happy, happy night.  My beau, no wait, my fiance was still in college.  We had to wait several years before we could get married.  I was almost 21 when we finally did.  Our engagement lasted for almost three years.  I believed in the merits of long engagements but this one seemed like an eternity.

It's been almost 33 years since I received my engagement ring.  It's still as sparkling and beautiful as the first time I saw it.  My husband still gazes at me with the same, if not more, look of adoration as he did that night so long ago.  And yes, we've had rough roads to travel but for the most part, it's been a wonderful ride.