Some great news pierced through the Covid gloom last night when my youngest daughter and her boyfriend turned up on our doorstep to announce they’d got engaged.
It felt like a wonderful and very happy surprise even though her boyfriend had asked for my approval a few months back.
We listened to their breathless story of the proposal and how they both felt as the deed was done, admired the ring and shared their joy at this key time in their lives, a moment they will never forget.
I felt really happy for both of them and as a Dad it’s good to know that your daughter has found commitment, security and love as an adult.
From being asked for my approval through to the engagement – and then on to the wedding whenever that may be – the whole process feels wonderfully traditional.
A throwback to an older time, before everything started to go wrong with the world and it seems like an affirmation that some things – how a man expresses his love for a woman – remain the same.
The engagement comes at a busy time as they will be moving in to their first home of their own in a couple of weeks.
It feels to me that they are on the cusp of embarking on life’s key journey, what life is fundamentally all about – finding love, building a relationship and creating a home and then, children perhaps.
While happy for them I felt a brief pang of sadness when I thought of my own life. Here I am in my 60th year searching for a purpose, trying to manufacture a meaningful new goal, truth is the key goal of life has been achieved and is now behind me. The news also affirmed that I was indeed getting old!
My sadness was though fleeting as I reflected on the excitement my daughter must now feel.
I feel it, vicariously.