He Used a Medical Questionnaire to Propose

6

The best thing that ever happened to Zelig (now 35) was meeting his now-fiancé, Aida Alexis (now 36) on CatholicMatch.

“When I first saw her profile, I was struck how beautiful she was,” he recalled. “Her face said a lot, and I got the vibe that she would be a simple and down to earth person, with a personality that would be easy to get along with.”

Image of couple in sunglasses outside.

The two came from very different cultural backgrounds, despite hailing from the same state (Texas is vast; it contains multitudes) but found they shared a strong faith and set of family values.

Moreover, Aida liked the fact that Zelig was tall (tall, strapping men are generally regarded as attractive). This led to her inquiring further and discovering that he is also a gentleman.  

Drawn by mutual attraction and a sense of their shared values, they exchanged contact information and conversation continued via text, phone calls, and Facetime for a few weeks. These conversations built up their curiosity in one another and made them all the more eager to meet face to face.

A little three-hour drive between Houston and San Antonioproved only a minor obstacle to them.

Their first date was in San Antonio, visiting the well-remembered Alamo, strolling along the Riverwalk, and attending Mass at San Fernando Cathedral. Zelig was nervous about meeting her, despite their many conversations, while Aida was very self-conscious about her appearance (despite the fact that Zelig already thought she was beautiful) and opted for something “simple and casual.”

The date included hamburgers for lunch, which despite their best efforts proved impossible to eat cleanly, making her casual dress rather more so than intended (and prompting much reminiscent laughter in future days). 

This date, naturally, was followed by another, and another.

“I was curious to know more about Zelig,” Aida recalled. It seems the in-person meeting, rather than satisfying her curiosity, had only piqued it. They took a trip to the beaches and sea wall of Galveston, with delicious seafood, a walk along the beach, and a view of the sunset.

Later Zelig went to meet Aida’s family, where he further impressed her by his sincere efforts to understand and connect with her family and their culture.

As they grew more comfortable together, they began to pull surprises on each other. One Friday, for instance, Zelig had just left work in Houston and decided to go to a cousin’s house in the city when he got a text from Aida asking where he was at the moment. He told her that he was on his way to his cousin’s and asked where she was.

The answer: “Outside your apartment door.” She’d driven up to surprise him!

But even that couldn’t hold a candle to the surprise he cooked up for his marriage proposal.

For their first real trip together, the couple decided to visit Tampa, Florida. It was a wonderful time; they stayed right on the beach, kayaked, and generally had a blast.

One night, they went on a boat cruise in a beautiful, romantic setting. As the tour got underway, Aida realized that they practically had the boat to themselves; just them and the sea and the sky. She wondered…had Zelig arranged this to propose?

Nope. He hadn’t even bought the ring yet. The cause of the empty boat was not Zelig’s romantic feelings, but the wrath of Mother Nature. It turns out there was a tropical storm brewing in the area, and they were the only ones who had been oblivious enough to book that day.

They evaded the storm, but no ring appeared.

Image of couple laughing and embracing outside.

The couple soon returned to Texas, still unengaged. About a week later, Zelig asked her over to help him fill out some medical insurance forms by reading down the questionnaire for him and helping him answer them.

She naturally agreed, figuring it was just one of those boring, practical things made more bearable by facing them as a couple.

She dutifully ran down the list, not suspecting anything, until she came to the item “Will You Marry Me?”

Aida was taken completely by surprise (most current medicalquestionnaires omit that one), but not so much that she forgot to say “yes.”

 The surprise proposalwas followed by a joint engagement party for their families, and the wedding day is set for April 17, 2020.

Zelig summed up the experience as, “Thank you CatholicMatch and thank you Jesus!”

Found the love of your life on CatholicMatch?
Share Your StoryCatholicMatch
— This article has been read 229 times —