Stories Collected While Living in France

French la Vie

How French Husband Proposed

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French Husband proposed to me in a small neighborhood park in Paris. His breath was swirling white from the cold; funny when you are first in love, the things around seem brand new and miraculous, seeing his breath made me feel less cold. We sat on a bench. French Husband handed me a box of chocolates. Opening it I saw a simple gold band in one of the empty chocolate spots. Oh. I looked up at him, and followed his eyes…

 

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Slouched over the park's fountain was a young man, obviously poor in spirit, shaking from cold, he was holding a spoon over a lighter. I looked back at French Husband, and tried to understand. French Husband stood up, as if in a trance he went to the young man, put his arms around him and held him for which seemed like eternity. He rocked him, gently talked to him. Eventually, the two of them walked to the nearby phone booth, later an ambulance came. French Husband walked back to where I was sitting. He told me the young man was trying to shoot up heroin- and yet he felt it was more than that. French Husband sensed the young man was trying to kill himself, and he felt he needed someone to hold on to.

                      At that moment I knew my answer would be yes.

The way to know the heart of a person is to see how they treat people they don't know when in need.

 

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Photo: Views and painting of Versailles I took while visiting Marie Antoinette's Trianon.

 

Proposed to in Paris

How was your proposal?

Comments

36 responses to “How French Husband Proposed”

  1. Debbie

    Wow – amidst all the violence and hatred of the last few days, the compassion that flows from your proposal story really touched my heart. The image of your husband holding that young man will stay with me forever. Thank you

    Reply
  2. jackie

    I love this story! I love your writing (“his breath swirling white with the cold”) Wonderful! My proposal was boring, typical…but the last 23 years have been anything but, lol!

    Reply
  3. g

    Corey -this is such a beautifully tender moment…I am left speechless by the weight and depth of all the elements-thank you for allowing us to be part of it-and what a life lesson -knowing the heart of someone by their actions to a stranger in need-SO TRUE –

    Reply
  4. Star

    What a huge heart your Yann has.
    Our proposal was at dusk, literally on the side of a mountain overlooking the city below. I said yes and then wished he’d come to a safer spot than where he perched in front of me.

    Reply
  5. Kathie

    No proposal, just rational discussion of wanting to spend the rest of our lives with one another. Romantic? Not by traditional standards, but then again we’re still together, so it worked — and nothing else matters!!!

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  6. Dori

    Oh…this brought tears to my eyes. What a good man, Corey. Love to you both!

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  7. Bonnie Gale

    Not a typical proposal, but made very special by the display of compassion Yann showed to the young man. I can see how your heart was touched by his gesture. Thank you for sharing.

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  8. Wendy in Kennewick

    How can you not fall in love with a compassionate man! My husband proposed while sitting on the couch eating chili and watching TV. He said “I’ve been thinking about getting married…. there’s a girl at work…..” Why I said yes, I will never know, even after 39 years!

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  9. melly

    I have read this before…And I am just as moved as the first time I read it….what a wonderful, memorable proposal…what lucky souls the both of you…
    May you celebrate this anniversary for many, many moons.

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  10. melly

    Wendy, I have to reply…laughing out lout because I have wondered the same after 39 years also…what was in the air in 1975?

    Reply
  11. monika

    Years ago, I cam across your blog and read this post. It always stuck with me as the most beautiful proposal. To find someone that strong and that loving and that generous is truly an amazing thing in life. This was the Universe laying it out for you to see — extraordinary.
    Pierre and I have been together 26 years and have two children, have moved across country and across the ocean, have been through unemployment and house renovations and cancer, but he hasnever proposed; his mother is “opposed to marriage”. (Quebeckers have very low rates of marriage). When I had cancer, have a wedding was the one thing I wanted to do before I died, but it never happened. And now, I doubt it ever will.
    My only marriage proposal came in kindergarten, from Charlie (Chinicci? don’t remember how to spell it). We lived in Buffalo, and went to parochial school. Every day at nap time, he would be pretend napping next to me, pleading with me to marry him, and play house with home. “Oh Charlie, all right, I’ll marry you, but please sush now, or you will get us in trouble.” I played it very cool, but had a crush on him at the time. 🙂 After I changed schools, I heard that he really missed me and pined for me. Oh, the may-have-beens 😉

    Reply
  12. Lana Kloch

    27 years and counting.. happy anniversary to you two.. to you and your immediate family.. to you and your family and relatives and friends on so many continents.
    we all have been touched by you and “french husband” and our lives made so much better..
    you do not sugar coat the years. you allow us on your journey and your attitude on this journey is what makes it possible and what i define as successful.
    sending tons of hugs & kisses..
    lana kloch

    Reply
  13. Linda

    Maurice just kept saying, “Leenda, I want to marry you”. After a few months I surprised him and said yes. I really didn’t want to get married again. He had to wear me down. I’ve never been sorry. That Yann is a good man.

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  14. Mai

    You would have married him still if he had not acted in that compassionate way. I suspect it was not an isolated act, but one of many that this man of yours has enacted in his life. You were getting to know him and the moment was right. Your values were already one.
    Bless you both. Mai

    Reply
  15. Jennifer Phillipps

    Happy Anniversary belatedly and congratulations on finding such a cute and thoughtful, kind and annoying French husband who shares your life.
    What a memorable way to remember a proposal….I wonder what happened to that young man!?
    From all the way over here in New Zealand I send thoughts to you and your family as France remembers its recent tragedies and shows strength and determination not to buckle under to the hate. We will watch the march of peace today and think of you all.

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  16. Leslie in Oregon

    I’m not sure, Melly, but as another who married in 1975, I’m very happy whatever it was was in the air!

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  17. Shannon Marie

    Love this. I fear my selfish side would at first say, “HEY! You’re proposing to me here!!” And then the rest of me would be consumed by that Love that is granted to those willing to open and see. I pray my man is half the compassionate spirit your Yann is. And that we are in a park in France, and he can walk away from me to help a soul in need. 🙂

    Reply
  18. Bev S.

    French husband is a keeper….
    We had picked out the ring using a diamond of his great-grandfather’s but I did not know when it would be. We went to a nice restaurant but he decided that he wanted the two of us to be alone. Finally after driving around for awhile and me saying, “Just pull over,” he proposed…in a cow pasture…in his Chevy Blazer…in Princeton New Jersey.

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  19. Karen C

    He said “if we get married, how long will you need to get things ready?”
    I said “I can brush my hair in the car.”
    Far, far from anything that resembled a proposal and yet he proved to be the most romantic man for the 37 beautiful years we were married.
    This year will be the first anniversary I won’t wake up beside him.

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  20. Melissa Paruzel

    Happy anniversary 🙂

    Reply
  21. Linda

    Happy Anniversary, Corey. Kind and gentle men like Yann are truly a gift. They stand in sharp contrast to those who committed the crimes in Paris this week.

    Reply
  22. maggie schneider

    Happy Anniversary to you and Yann. You are surely a gift to one another.
    We are with France today as we watch the incredible Unity gathering in Paris. At one moment watching CNN, I thought I saw Sasha, closeup, walking by. Probably not but surely a twin.
    XXX, Maggie

    Reply
  23. KAMFreeman

    Happy, happiest ever celebration of 27 years of sharing the journey with a most beautiful man, Yann…the wrapping and the contents of that present you chose to keep are simply fantastic, caring and sensitive and has become close to so many of us through the beautiful stories and photos you share, Corey. a toast to you both….Kristin

    Reply
  24. Irene Thomas

    I had known Bill for 3 months, and one night he phoned and during the conversation, he said, “My boss asked me to work on Saturday, but I told him I couldn’t because I’m getting married.” Silence….silence…. Will you?
    I was completely stunned, saying “I’ll have to think about this”. Before we hung up, I had said “Yes!” That was over 32 years ago. He married me with 4 children, most teenagers. He is a gem.

    Reply
  25. Christine

    After a day pulling oysters from the sea in Marennes Oléron, and eating at least half of what we had fished, JM sat opposite me in a restaurant that evening and had to ask me to marry him three times as each time I tried to reply, I had to run and vomit. One of the oysters he had opened didn’t smell so good, so he had given it to me earlier in the day !! I was ill for four days. Have only been able to eat two oysters each year, and we’ve been married for 26.

    Reply
  26. Paula

    Thank you for sharing such a beautiful anecdote from your story.

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  27. Ann

    Have to think about the actual proposal because I think I proposed. It all began when I broke up with DH – we had been dating and I listened to many of my friends telling me about their bad marriages/divorces etc. so I thought I better stop this relationship now and broke up with DH. The next day, I stepped outside my apt and there is a bag of oranges from his tree….no note but I knew it was him. I cried at such a sweet and thoughtful act and thought- what have I done….so I called him, thanked him for the oranges and said I would like to be part of his life if he would have me…and he replied….you have me forever. Sounds like a novel but that’s how it happened.

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  28. Robin

    I took my family to Venice, Italy so they all could see where I had studied art. The tour had arranged gondola rides. JeanPaul had arranged to be in the boat with the singer and accordian player. He got down on one knee in the middle of a lovely song and handed me my ring. A lovely antique ring with a ruby instead of diamond. I guess I told him Venice is a bold lady in red crimson velvet. Seems he was paying attention all along.

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  29. Tongue in Cheek

    Natural love I imagine!!

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  30. Tongue in Cheek

    I can hear him saying Leenda. 🙂

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  31. Tongue in Cheek

    I do not know what happened to that young man. I hope something healing and happy.

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  32. Tongue in Cheek

    “Just pull over” I like that in a cow pasture.

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  33. Tongue in Cheek

    Karen C. I am sorry. When is your anniversary?

    Reply
  34. tammyCA

    This is the best proposal story I’ve ever heard.

    Reply
  35. Marilyn

    I do love your proposal story. What a precious
    heart your husband has.

    Reply
  36. Joan

    Happy anniversary! What a wonderful proposal story! The best I have ever heard. And I am thrilled to read that Thierry is in love. Healing is happening for him.

    Reply

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