The Groom Speaks His Piece

Happy Tuesday to all of the Ms. Viv ‘Nim Fanatics!

We trust that you all had a great Fourth of July weekend, but now it’s time for today’s latest blog. On July 1, we heard Sarah Elizabeth’s thoughts on her upcoming wedding day. Today, we will hear from her future husband Duane Walter Anoai.


Hey, Y’all!

I gotta say—sometimes I feel like I’m dreaming. It was Monday, August 25, 2008 that I walked in to speak to my academic counselor about my grad school commencement. I never expected for love to hit me like it did. I mean, there she was—a gorgeous 5’6” honey blonde, crystal blue-eyed beauty. Some say that it was destiny, and they might be right. All I know is: I never expected Sarah Elizabeth Douglas to touch my life the way she did.

Once upon a time, when I was in my late teens and early 20s, I was a heartbreaker… yes, I freely admit it. I was the one in high school and college who was actin’ like a playa-playa. I toyed with the girls’ emotions and made them cry. And then one day, as fate would have it, I found out what it felt like. There was a girl whom I thought was interested in me, and come to find out that she was using me—it didn’t feel good at all. After getting a taste of my own medicine, I healed over my heartbreak, then I got in contact with each and every girl that I scorned and apologized to them. Fortunately, they forgave me, but it was still a long time until I started dating again.

And that’s when Sarah Elizabeth came into my life.

It shocked me when Sarah gave me her phone number that day. I admit that I was very nervous, because I was concentrating very hard on keeping my past hidden. When Sarah and I became an exclusive couple, I finally opened up to her about my past. I lie to you not—Sarah caught me by the face and said, “Honey, that was then, and this is now. The bottom line is that you learned your lesson and you’ve grown from it.” When she said that to me, it was like… whoa! She knew about my past, yet she still loves me. And on top of everything else, she still said yes when I proposed to her. That’s nothing but the goodness of The Lord right there.

Well, September 17 will be here before I know it. I’ve already picked out my tuxedo—I just need to get the shoes. I don’t have anything else to say, except this: Thank You, Lord for blessing me with a wonderful woman like Sarah Elizabeth.