april fools

 

Good friends of mine were married on this day 17 years ago. It was an intimate wedding held outdoors alongside an idyllic lake as the sun prepared to set. Everything about the scene was absolutely stunning…..the gorgeous bride and handsome groom, the lavish display of tropical blooms and giant moss filled oak trees that surrounded them, the magnificent pink-orange late-afternoon sunshine that kept them backlit in the most ethereal way as they took their vows. It was the stuff of fairytales just to witness the event.

I can’t begin to count the amount of weddings I’ve attended over the years, but the number is high, and since I’m typically terrible about remembering dates it’s funny I should remember this particular anniversary. Even more than the pure beauty of the occasion, I think what caused it to stand out in my mind were the words of the minister officiating the ceremony. He very emphatically advising the couple being married that day to remain always, “April fools for love”.

I don’t recall all that he said that day, although I’m sure there were plenty of other words about honoring and cherishing and till death do us parting, but it was the April fools portion that I latched on to, contemplated then, and remember still so many years later.

I see a lot of couples up close in my work, photographing their engagements, pregnancies and holiday family portraits, and then sitting with them later as they review their proofs. I’m encouraged most by the ones who remember to be playful, who make fun of themselves and respectfully poke fun at each other, and keep light about things as much as possible. Life can be hard, I know, there is plenty to be serious about, and plenty to be somber about. But to my way of thinking that is all the more reason to remain fools for love. We all need some sanctuary, a haven where we can let down, laugh and be free, and shouldn’t this safe place be with the ones we love most?

What a perfect day this is to begin some foolish behavior. And putting my own spin on the words spoken at that wedding many years ago, I say: Go ahead and be wacky outlandish fools for love, abounding with an ardent and fiery, zany and nonsensical, topsy-turvy groovy kind of love that keeps the heart racing, calories burning, the neighbors gossiping, and the teenagers ever hopeful about what grown up love can look like.

Be April fools every single day of the year.

 

~Cynthia