Editor's Column

by Benjamin Tertin

Rapt in anticipation, I felt my heartrate hit the "berserk" level. Would she say yes?

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My Blue-Eyed Beauty Loves Octopus Lake

I was back at my old job, building a .50-caliber revolver on the day I considered a plan to ask the most beautiful woman in all creation, Ali Ohe, to marry me.

I decided the key to a solid proposal was a memorable location. We would need tranquility -- a place beyond civilization, at the end of rugged wilderness trails on a pristine lakeshore. The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in Northern Minnesota was such a place. And the plan worked perfectly because Ali and I had already scheduled a five-day trip there with our friends, Cherith and Andy.

After work, my dad and I drove to the jewelry store where we both received a lesson in stone clarity and color. I picked out a small, princess-cut diamond ring.

But what if she said no? I thought. My heart rate picked up. Maybe I should wait until Christmas.

Then I thought about the way Ali lived for our Creator and the way she loved me. Questions quickly faded into confidence knowing that I had found my girl.

Boundary Waters traveling is wet and muddy, so I wrapped the ring in a coin-sized silk pouch, placed both in a fancy round box made of birch bark, wrapped all three in a zip-lock baggie and then stashed the complete package in my tackle box under the Rapala lures.

At the entry point near Tofte, Minn., I took extra time lashing gear into our canoe; the rope would save my backpack and its small treasure if we happened to capsize. Andy and Cherith shoved off. Ali and I followed, and we spent the afternoon paddling into a hefty headwind across Brule Lake. Our first portage led to a glassy, crooked river lined with bullrushes and lily pads. Bloodthirsty mosquitoes ambushed us from the jack pine and aspen thickets our portage trails cut through, and by the time we'd set camp for the night, everyone was beat -- except me.

Rapt in anticipation, I felt my heartrate hit the "berserk" level. Would she say yes?

With my little tackle box under my arm, I retreated to my tent. Lying on my sleeping bag, I fumbled the ring around in my hands.

I don't deserve her, I thought. She's way too classy. How could this precious, godly woman have fallen in love with me?

I had concealed no dark secret from her. She knew my imperfections, and she still loved me. She said she loved the new creation that God had begun in me.

The next morning, after squishing peanut butter and dried cranberries into pita pockets for lunch, Ali and I set out for a day trip. Paddling from shore, we chatted about future dreams, and Ali looked back at me with happy eyes. "My Ben...what are we going to do with this love?" she asked. "I don't know," I answered with a grin, glancing to the side. "But I suppose we ought to start thinking about that."

Based on our topo map, a small spider-shaped lake named "Octopus" looked like a good destination for the proposal. It was the farthest we could travel and still have time to return to camp before dark.

When we portaged into Octopus Lake, my heart was thumping. I mumbled, "This is it; this is the place," but she barely noticed. We paddled to an enormous rock for lunch and climbed onto the top.

She was happy to be with me, alone and carefree in the quiet afternoon sunshine. With the round birch-bark box in hand, I kneeled at her feet. Her blue eyes glowed, and her stare blended confusion and joy into the prettiest smile I will ever see.

"Will you marry me, Ali?" I asked. "Will you be my wife?..." "Yes! Oh yes, yes, Ben," she said, trembling and wrapping me in her arms before I could finish asking.

Other than Cherith and Andy, no friends or family could hear the news until we returned to civilization three days later. Our Moms cried, friends laughed, and Ali and I set the date for July 7, 2007.

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