REFLECTIONS ON A LONG AND BLESSED LIFE N0. 36 GRADUATION/ENGAGEMENT

 I know that I graduated from college even though when I just now searched for it I could not find my diploma. But I found the diploma for my wife Jane and she and I graduated together. And her diploma clearly lists our graduation date as June 9,1950. Frankly I remember very little about the ceremony or the words of the speaker.

I suspect that the reasons my diploma and graduation ceremony are not clear is because that date was more important to me for a different reason. That is the day I gave and Jane accepted her engagement ring. The ring itself has it own little history. My parents had met, admired Jane and were very pleased about our relationship. They knew we hoped to be married. They also knew that I was a flat-broke student who could not afford to buy an engagement or wedding ring. So my dad had a proposal. The Lutheran “teacherage” in which they lived outside Walburg Texas had about 10 acres of pasture around it. Dad offered and I bought for $10.00 a newborn heifer calf. It pastured on the grass and after about 10 months it was sold at auction for the wonderful price of $110.00! So I had $100.00 with which to buy an engagement ring.

Fortunately Jane’s mom and dad also approved of our relationship and when I visited with them the Easter before our graduation her mother wisely suggested that I spend a little time with some very good friends of theirs who happened to own a jewelry shop. And there I found it: a one--quarter karat gold solitaire engagement ring! Cost: $100.00.To me it was as amazing and beautiful as any million dollar giant sparkler.

The time and moment of me giving the ring to Jane does not reflect well on my romancing skills. It was a couple hours before graduation. I was saying, “see you” to Jane as she went to her dorm room to put on her graduation gown. I handed her the ring and said “Here is a little something for you.” Of course, when she got to her room and opened the package she screamed and all on the floor came to gush and admire.

I now have some regret that I did not handle this in a manner more worthy of her. I wish I had formally asked her to become m wife. That formality never occurred. We just grew into it. I had, however, very formally asked Jane’s dad for permission to marry his daughter. In fact I did that just an hour before I handed her the engagement ring.

As mentioned above, we then went to the graduation ceremonies. After that we did an unusual thing: We all went out for a late dinner at Nieman’s Restaurant on North Avenue with her parents, grandmother and my folks. This was unusual because we were both so broke we simply could never go out for a nice dinner and it was unusual, because my mother actually joined in the celebration by drinking a cocktail, another first. And, of course it was the formal announcement of our engagement It was all great.

It is now more than 66 years since that graduation/engagement event. The ministries made possible because I have that college degree and because Jane accepted that ring have been wonderfully blessed, amazingly interesting, and still going on at a fairly respectable pace!