A happy story in stressful times

It was quiet on the mountain. My husband and I were on an early morning hike with our dog up Monument Mountain. As we approached Inscription Rock, a landmark near the top, we saw a man and woman who looked to be in their late 60's, healthy outdoorsy types. The man was asking the woman to sit on the rock so he could take her picture.

As we passed by, the man walked towards me and asked me to take their picture. "Sure," I replied, taking his camera. Then, as the woman got settled on the rock, he whispered to me, "I'm about to ask this woman to marry me." Signaling to my husband to stay back with the dog, I began clicking away. He approached her and got down on one knee, pulling a small box out of his jacket pocket. There was much laughter and embracing. When the deed was done, they turned to face me, arms around each other, and asked me to take their picture together.

"It was meant to be," I said, referring both to our arrival at this spot at the exact moment of the proposal, as well as, I hope, their marriage. My husband and I continued over the top of the mountain and down the other side, exhillarated by this chance encounter with new love.

( Between the elections, hurricane Sandy and my preparations for two major presentations in the next two weeks-more about those soon- a relevant and meaningful blog post has not been forthcoming. I hope readers enjoy this little tale instead!)