WOW Country’s Zizly Flores is Engaged! “From the Heart and Mean it”

I'm so excited to share some news....FINALLY!

Since I started working for WOW 104.3 four years ago, I've told you about cool events coming to town, hooked you up with tickets, met you at concerts, shared some devastating life events, and some happy personal moments.

The reason I share these things is because I feel it's a great privilege to be able to use a platform to connect with you and relate to you on a personal level.

See, two years ago, I went through one of the hardest times of my life. I was engaged to my high-school sweetheart and one day-out of the blue-he broke my heart.

The wedding was off and I was devastated. I became depressed and felt like I was never going to believe in love again.

I WAS SOOOOO WRONG.

The bad part was it took me additional heartbreak to figure it out. I started dating again, and despite my belief that ALL men were the same - this new guy was completely different. He treated me like a QUEEN.

My head convinced my heart however, that the way he treated me wasn't enough.

I would consistently tell him that I knew he was going to leave me, just like my ex did. I'd compare him, I'd knock him down off the wall I'd built around myself to protect the pieces I'd picked up. Event though he was doing everything right, my heart was not ready to love, let alone be loved.

So the relationship broke.

Now I was really a mess. I was in the exact same broken place I was in just a year prior. I gave up. I could do life alone, right? You know that saying 'if it's meant to be, it'll happen'? Well I've always believed in that, and for some reason, this break was excruciatingly more difficult than the first.

I truly believe that we were meant to be. During the time we spent apart, I took a hard look at myself and my inability to let the past control my present. I was so caught up in fearing the worst, I was missing out on the best.

I never allowed him, or anyone else, the opportunity to show me all the good that could come from a new relationship. I was stuck in the darkness of hurt, and I hated it.

I wasn't the only one that wished it had been different. He knew we were perfect for each other too. It was like some (sounds cheesy) crazy magical magnetic force we both felt.

We decided we were worth another chance.

We've both worked really hard to become better people and better partners for each other. We even started attending a couples community group that's part of our church, Rock Harbor.

This. Changed. Everything.

It allowed us to share our story-to strangers at the time-without judgment, while giving us the chance to strengthen our faith. We owe a incredible amount of our success to the love and support from our amazing friends in our group and our church. We love you guys!

Let's get to the good news, shall we?

We recently have been having the "marriage talk", you know, "do you want to?," "where would we get married?," and my favorite, "how do you want me to propose?" I, like many other women, have probably dreamed about the most perfect proposal-snow flakes falling ever so slightly, a hidden photographer, and the perfect mani.

After everything, that seemed like the most unimportant piece of the puzzle. I told him something I feel could be applied to any important situation in life, "just make sure you do it from the heart and meant it."

On Monday, during our weekly group gathering (and after a fun game of 'I've Never'), I got a huge surprise. Richard, the guy I've been talking about, got down on our friend's elk hide rug and popped the question!

Of course I said, "YES!" and cried a lot.

Relationships aren't easy. The things you go through, grow you. And now, we can say we're a true testament to that statement. So love who you want, and love unapologetically.