she sits under her tree, the big oak in the middle of the field, and watches the butterflies float around her. her mind drifts to a time, not too long ago, when she had been happy…
walking, holding hands and laughing at each other, the couple walks down the street during the small county fair. the smell of popcorn and funnel cakes plays with their noses as children and teenagers run past them. everything had been perfect all night long. even the carnival folk she had always feared seemed less scary tonight. it had been six months since they had last seen each other and in only three short weeks he would be gone again. off to school and a life a thousand miles away from her, from them…
they had always know they were meant for each other, so when he had decided to go to college on the east coast, she had been supportive. as time wore on though, the distance had taken its toll on her. her eyes, once as blue as the summer sky, seemed duller, older and worn while he was away. her playful manner was still there, but now it was hidden under blankets of sadness.
since he had come home she had felt herself come back to life. he knew how lonely she was without him because it was terribly lonely for him without her. he wished there was a way to convince her to move back east with him until he finished school, but he knew that even though she missed him that to leave her family that far away would hurt her more. one idea had been floating through his mind for some time now, but fear of what her reaction would be kept him from asking. maybe when he came home for Christmas…
she sat under her big oak tree and thought of him. something had been on his mind when he had been home. he wouldn’t tell her what it was and for the first time she had began to wonder…
the months dragged on. October to November and finally December! she had been counting the days until his Christmas break for months now. she realized all too well how silly she must seem to everyone else. counting down days on a calendar is what small children do in anticipation of Christmas morning, but she was in love and sometimes being in love meant being silly once in a while.
when he stepped off the plane, their eyes met and tears of joy ran down her face. he was so handsome and she loved him more than he would ever know. he ran to her and as he took her in his arms and kissed her; he knew.
on the ride home they talked of all the things he had missed. his sisters had gone to her first high school dance and her brother had scored the winning point at last weeks basketball game. while she talked, he looked at her and wished he had been at home with her to see all the things she was telling him about.
when they finally arrived at his parent’s house, re realized just how much he had missed small town life. after settling in, he called her father, it was time to discuss the future.
at dinner that night both families sat around a table filled with enough food to feed a small country. right before desert, he excused himself and went into the kitchen to help his mother. he had asked his mother to make blueberry pie. it was her favorite. he took a piece and on top of it placed the ring.
she was the last to receive her pie and when he placed it in front of her he fell to his knees. taking her beautiful, dainty hands in his he asked her the four most precious words she had ever heard.
“will you marry me?”
she spoke no words, but her eyes revealed her answer better than any words could. as they embraced each other, their families smiled upon them.
they spent the remainder of his break having snowball fights and cozy evenings by the fire. January came too quickly for her, but she realized now that since she would be planning a wedding she would have something to focus on and help her forget her loneliness.
when the time came for him to return to school, she cried for hours. the six short months until their wedding loomed before her like eons. she was hesitant to leave her family, but he had promised that after he finished school they would move back to Kansas and settle down.
the new few months flew by as preparations for the wedding consumed her. she couldn’t believe how much there was to do! he has chosen his groomsmen before he had left, but she had spent two weeks in agony over who to pick. finally the wedding party was chosen. they wanted a simple, outside wedding in the field under her oak tree. she had always wanted to get married under the tree which she had spent so much of her childhood playing under.
as he stepped off the plane with his two college friends she ran toward him, her honey blonde hair flying behind her. she was earing a pair of old faded blue jeans and an old button up shirt of his. neither of his friends had ever seen a more beautiful woman.
the day finally came and everything was simply perfect. her simple white dress played gracefully around her tiny, beautiful bare feet. he stood across from her, he Adonis in a white dress shirt and a pair of pressed blue jeans. it was the wedding they had always dreamed of. so there, in front of their family and friends, underneath her favorite oak tree, they were finally married. neither of them had ever been happier.
after he finished college they moved back to their small Kansas town. back to their family and friends and the simple life they both yearned for. not much more to be said of their simple life, but extraordinary love. three children, a growing family business, loving family, loyal friends and a fulfilling church life gave their life a fairy tale quality. even to the end their eyes never left each other. today, if you walk through a Kansas field, you may find an old oak tree with a gravestone under it that simple says;
“together we lived. together we died. now forever, side by side.”
Whenlifegivesyoucowpatties 