They say, “If at first you don’t succeed, dust yourself off and try again.” Well when it comes to the proposal, the day’s theme was certainly “If at first you don’t succeed, try again … and then again … and then again … and then again.” After several weeks of planning, which included posing as a physician at Jacobi Hospital and devising three or four or even five plan “A’s,” I had finally decided on THE plan A for the proposal. I told Abby I was working overnight and after work I would go home to sleep so she shouldn’t expect to hear from me. Little did she know, I was planning a surprise. I had coordinated with her coworkers to show up at her job and shock her with a well laid out plan including other staff in her office. Every detail had been discussed; no stone was left unturned. On her proposal morning, everything seemed as though it would go according to plan.

 

Abby, through no fault of her own, had other plans for that day. Something had come up the day prior, which left her unable to go to work. My alternate plan was for her manager to inform her that she had to come in for an “important meeting.” While she had agreed to this, on the morning of the proposal, she could not make it to work either. Undeterred, I decided to fly into New York nonetheless and devise yet another alternative plan. After discussing with my cousin Ian, I decided to bring him into the mix. Ian called Abby and informed her that he was in town with a friend and they wanted to meet up with her for lunch. Nevertheless, Abby again had other plans for the day and informed my cousin she would not be able to meet with him.

 

By this time, I had already arrived in New York. After three excellent ideas had failed, I decided to at least inform Abby that I was in town and wanted to see her. I coordinated a time when she would be home. When I arrived that cold winter day, I got down on one knee and rang the doorbell … No answer. I rang it again … no answer. I called her phone a couple times without response (I think her battery was dead). Finally, she opened the door to find me on the ground with a ring in hand and asked her to marry me. Despite multiple failed plans, my plotting proved undoubtedly worth the struggle as her answer was an emphatic “YES!!”