I feel incredibly proud of the fact that I proposed to my fiancé and that he proud and unashamed to tell everyone in our lives.

After years of friendship and almost a year of being together and actually dating, I was pretty much 100% sure I wanted to marry my boyfriend. So much so that I started to search for dresses and day dream about where the venue would be.

Then as I was walking to my car to go home from work, I told myself to stop thinking about any of that stuff until he proposed...then I thought, why the fuck can't I propose. I know he loves me. I know I love him. I want to marry him. Why am I going to wait until he does it? A tradition neither of us cares about?

So I started the surprisingly annoying and difficult hunt for a male engagement ring. I set up a date for us, and I proposed to him.

And then I made myself subconsciously aware that even though he accepted my proposal, he'd probably be a little embarrassed that a woman proposed to him and that he wouldn't necessarily want everyone to know. We could just let them assume he asked me...but then, as always, he reminds me (partly) why I wanted to marry him in the first place.

Allover Facebook and instagram he was posting his ring and how happy he was and surprised he was that I proposed.

He's so funny, too. I had to work Sunday night and he told me he had to leave to run an errand a bit before I left for work. I show up to work and he's sitting at the nurses station showing off the ring and drinking coffee with my coworkers.

Ladies, if you love him and you want to marry him, there's literally no reason why you shouldn't feel empowered to take the initiative and ask him to marry you.