Ed and Jill | A Breath Of Fresh Air

It’s a cold, rainy Sunday afternoon and I’m on the road. My phone is constantly alerting me with the latest updates from around the world. The NFL has a new CBA that half the players hate, COVID-19 has claimed more lives with more outbreaks every hour, there’s no more toilet paper or hand sanitizer, flights are canceled, weddings postponed, debates, fear, panic, chaos. It’s everywhere right now. Impossible Year by Panic! At The Disco plays in my headphones and all I can think is how fitting an anthem this song is for 2020. The year dominated by World War III memes, the death of Kobe Bryant, life threatening illness, and the year riddled with general uncertainty of what’s to come. What else is there to do other than sulk?

Unless… What if there really is something else to do?

I stopped my music and pulled up Ed & Jill’s wedding video. I watched it, then I watched it again. And again. And again. Why? Because I answered my own question. What else is there to do other than sulk? How about stopping to appreciate what good there is beyond the noise and the chaos?

Ed and Jill’s words to each other deeply and personally impacted me. Their passion, their love, and their deep emotional bond is simply breathtaking. In a world with so much bad, they cling to each other because despite all the bad they see so much good and so much potential for more good to come from each other, together as a couple and as individuals supporting each other’s desires and dreams. Listening to their words I’m reminded that love, unity, and self sacrifice are all ingredients in the cure for paralyzing fear that life can throw at us. Committing ourselves to loving another person, our friends, or our family will get us through whatever trials we face. Yes, life is hard. It’s scary out there. But together we can rekindle the fires of those around us when they’re low, be a guiding light for those around us, and erase the fear of not knowing. Reality is we will never know what is to come tomorrow, but we can make today the best it can be - not just for ourselves but for our family, our neighbors, our friends.

To Ed and Jill, thank you for allowing us to be a small piece in the puzzle of your wedding day. Thank you for the shining example of what love looks like in the face of adversity. It’s my hope that your vows impact others as much as they impacted me.