"Will you marry me?"

As a man, those four little words cannot be said without a little bit of tremble in the voice or little a bit of perspiration to the fingertips. As a woman, those four little words cannot be received without an escalation of heart rate leading to momentary shock and disbelief. Those four little words are actually not little at all. They are the biggest words that could ever flow from the lips of a man and be heard through the ears of a woman. Some might argue that the words "I love you" actually surpass the weight and intensity of the words above, but I disagree. The words articulated during a proposal mean so much more than a next step in a relationship. However, the full gravity of the words cannot be accounted for without the action of getting down on one knee before your, hopefully, soon-to-be, fiancé.

Throughout history, both men and women have symbolically taken a knee before God and before royalty, but why do men choose to partake in the recognizable gesture before they ask the woman of their dreams to share the rest of her life with him? When in church, one takes a knee as a sign of respect and admiration of God. In the Medieval Times of knights and castles, a knight would bow before a king as he is honored with the privilege and responsibility of becoming a knight for the country. In military conflict, when one side has defeated the other, the defeated army will kneel before their conquerors as a sign of surrender. A desperate attempt to receive compassion and mercy.

Respect. Honor. Surrender.

These words represent the theory of Hannah Crites: the student who first presented this written theory to the public.

As a sign of respect for the woman, a man lowers himself to one knee. His pride can no longer keep him on his feet. He must submit humbly to the woman he chooses to spend his life with, similarly to the way Christians submit to the Father when they come to the realization that they cannot walk this life alone. They must walk alongside God and a woman, so they bow before both.

Once on his knee, the man comes face to face with the womb of the woman. The womb in which life is created. He is caught in revelation of the power of the woman's body. A power given by God. A power to bear their children. An honor bestowed upon him by God to be the father of her children.

After the man has been brought to his knees through humility and witnessed the honor of the propensity of sharing life with this woman, he is lead to his final action. He reaches into his pocket and he pulls out a little black box that holds one thing: a symbol of his surrender. A white flag. A flawless, glimmering diamond ring. This ring acts as the material that represents his desire to give his life over to this woman. He has sacrificed a great amount financially to pay for this diamond, but it is so much more than just a diamond. The diamond itself is a symbol of the promise that he makes to sacrifice anything and everything for this woman for the rest of his life. He is filled with adoration that calls for his respect and leads him to the honor of surrendering his life to her.

With an ever-pounding heart, he takes the most courageous step a man could take through the power of unconditional love, and he asks:

"Will you marry me?"