an argument

So before we said goodbye, I asked John a few questions and off he went! “Yes honey, if you want to explore more go ahead, though I am going to miss you.” John is a doctor and that will keep him busy while I am gone. “Your family’s doing good then honey, I miss them so much.” “Sarah, you know how they are, they sit around eating Italian food, work, hang out with friends and family! Those are all our values and so that is how they are." “You don’t have to be defensive and upset! I’m simply asking how they are doing. You are always like this, whenever I ask about them. What are you so upset about?! That I’m not coming with you; like deep down in your heart of hearts what is causing you to act this way?! I’m simply now a fiancé caring about your family and asking for an explanation.” “Sarah, I am a little agitated with you. It just seems like it’s all about you. We just got engaged and I’m happy about that but I am always catering to you! For once could you just be happy with us, with who we are. We’ve had this lovely time and you are wanting to stay longer! And as nice as it is, you still want to know if my family is well as if they are not already!” “The family? I don’t understand since I am simply asking as a kind gesture to want to find out that they are well” “It bothers me because you’re not coming with me, you’re asking about them, but if you would be just content, knowing that we’ve had a lovely time, and you wouldn’t even have to ask because you would be with me!” “John, it’s just a few days more, it’s not going to hurt us financially. Your family are fine without me there and so are you.” “Oh so you’re going to flip this on me and place the blame on me. I am hurt because this is the real you, who you are. You always want to put the spotlight on yourself. Just come with me baby, and everything will be alright. We’ll cancel the flight you were going to take, the place you're staying at, and we will be all happy and smiles. I always support you, I just want us to be together, I do not want to be apart anymore. Please come with me. Do you understand and agree with me?” “Well when you put it that way, why not? I am so easily convinced with you. I don’t want you to think it’s all about me, and we just got engaged, so I do not want you to be mad at me. I’m just interested in taking a last look.” “Well if that’s what you want and you’re not avoiding me, fine, but I still think we should go! Let’s tell everyone about our engagement and have some fun with it! Would you like to have an engagement party, because everyone is going to celebrate with us. You see, its not about all this stuff you see here, it's about us, humans, love between each other, commitment and having a great time together. THERE WILL BE MANY MORE TIMES TO COME!” “Okay," I said, "when you spill it out that way,... I’ll come!” “We love each other, let’s not put it off any longer. Time to celebrate with other people and not just ourselves.”

the dinner and gondola ride

So as we were finishing up our supper that we just had at the restaurant, John and I were getting ready to take our tour bus to the gondola area. We board the bus and when we got off of it, we go where we had already discussed with the tour guide. The water was beaming like as though there was gods own hands calming the storm at sea! I have to say that when we are back home, I often see the stillness in a little lake that we often walk to, and so this calmed my heart and soul as it took me back, but also beautiful here, to my hometown! There was a boat sitting on the canal, waiting for us as he started to serenade us with song! We get into the boat, we sit on comfortable seats, and the gondola takes off! Very bright colored and light colored homes are all around us, including apartments, and I point them out as we keep going, saying, “Oh honey, look at this one, look at that one.” “sit down he says, you’re going to hurt yourself!” When suddenly, as he grabbed my hand to sit down, saying, “honey, you are the light of my life.” “Yes i know jon, we have been together many years!” “NO, honey, you don’t understand!” “I look at him now as he kneels on both knees (otherwise he would fall using only one knee), as he continues, this time I am listening to him, “Like I was saying my love, I love you, you are my light, my strength and everything that I could currently need in life. And I hope i can make you say yes to me because I would love for you to be my bride, my wife, the love of my life!” Then, he pulls out the ring. As I start to cry, he’s smiling at me as I say, “yes honey, yes!” He puts on this big rock of a ring, everything I’ve ever wanted, a round stone covered in diamonds around it, the band was made of 18k white gold. We were both smiling and both having a great time as I stretched out my hand to the man driving the gondola, to which he said, “Ah, beautiful” (in Italian language)! I got to say I was not expecting such a surprise, we had that argument (discussion) yesterday and it kind of put me in a bad mood, but my then boyfriend and fiancé now, has proposed to me and I have got to say it can not be any better than this now! I got to say, he also is my everything, I love everything about him--hes strong, faithful and always there me. I think he’s just a little pushy sometimes but perhaps that’s just one little sacrifice I have to deal with! I really like a man that is a go-getter, he goes after what he wants, just like my other boyfriend, but this time be just does that a bit more!

a night out!

“I am not here to discuss it further, you seem to have a different opinion than me. I don’t need to see extravagance, I’m a simple person, pizzas and grapes and wine bottles that yes I can get elsewhere are the basis for my excitement.” When suddenly the tour guide was ready to take us on a bus to see the very many sides of Italy. We passed by churches as we crossed through the architectural side of Venice! There were about 25-30 people that were on that bus. We met Mary from England, a Scott from Scotland and a lady from Rome who was here to help with the tour guiding named Francesca. She is a very respectful lady and had a lot of knowledge of course of the region in Venice. When we got to the gondola part of the tour, which was just slightly on its way to a restaurant where we would mingle and get to know the tour guides, we stopped to view a couple who was travelling on it. Francesca said that man riding the gondola for them had been doing this for years. The song that he was singing is called “Volare.” He also had a musician playing the accordian, along with the singer. I asked the gondolier a question. He said, “Yes, I can”. Well we passed onto the restaurant where we were to meet all the members of our Italy/Greece trip. We were asked to sit down in the designated seats so John and I had ours. The tour guide gets up to the front to introduce himself as tour guide Victor. “Welcome, he says to everyone, “We are very glad you’re here. You are going to have the time of your life in areas you’ve never seen before and it is going to blow you away. We will save the details for when we get there to all the beautifcul places that you will see. For now, when I call your name, please stand up and introduce yourself or -selves if you are with your spouse or friend or family member! As John got up and introduced himself and his girlfriend to the crowd, all that Sandra could muster to think of was that this is my man and I am so blessed to have him! He says, “This is my lovely girlfriend Sandra. We come from Canada and we are very glad that we are in the heat,” teasing all the friend and families at home who enduring harsh Canada winter! As the other members were getting to stand up and discuss all relevant stories of themselves, John was thinking about the gondola ride right after supper that he was looking forward to being on, as he told me! “Now I don’t know why you're thinking of that now when we are having a relaxing and comfortable ride here, with the food and company we are currently having !” “Yes, honey," he says to me!