April Love
It is an absolutely gorgeous day here in Northeastern Ohio. The sky is a radiant blue with just a few puffy clouds; which is a rare occurrence since being here on the southern shore of Lake Erie tends to produce an abundance of cloud cover. The temperature is a wonderful 66 degrees, and the trees are just starting to turn their beautiful autumn colors.
Having worked 10-12 hours days for about 15 days in a row now, I grabbed a sub at one of my favorite lunchtime pizza joints, and headed for the park. We are blessed here in Northeastern Ohio to have acres and acres of national parks at our disposal. I found an empty picnic table nestled among some trees; a table half covered in shade and half in sunlight whenever an occasional burst of sunlight broke through the leaves.
So there I sat, enjoying my sub…but most of all, enjoying the mental health hour I had carved out of my day. I had my I-Phone set to play my favorite music, sort of defying the damn thing to ring. I had made up my mind that unless it was my wife, all other calls were headed straight to voice mail. Real estate would just have to survive without me for an hour.
About the same time, Pat Boone began to sing about April love, I looked up to spot an older man and woman walking along together holding hands. I started to chuckle to myself about the juxtaposition of these two love birds and a very young Pat Boone crooning about…
April love is for the very young
Every star's a wishing star that shines for you
April love is all the seven wonders
One little kiss can tell you this is true
My wife and I will be married 45 years this coming December 20th. We happened to be at a wedding on Saturday night for a co-worker’s daughter, and I remember sitting at the reception feeling very envious of the bride and groom twirling around on the dance floor. They looked so young, so vibrant, and so totally unaware of the tremendous forces at work as you grow older. The deaths of parents and other loved ones, the burdens of raising children through adulthood, and the financial strains of providing for a family…all those things that tend to knock the shine off love.
I remember sitting there at the wedding wishing I could turn back time…wishing I could be 20 something once again....wishing that was me and my wife out there on the dance floor.
Then I looked at the loving couple God had placed before me, and I began to see God’s wisdom when he made me take an hour away from my burdens to see the true value of love. It is not who is at your side when you begin your journey…but who is at your side as you near the end of your journey.
Sometimes an April day will suddenly bring showers
Rain to grow the flowers for her first bouquet
But April love can slip right through your fingers
So if she's the one don't let her run away
Words to April Love by Paul Francis Webster, music by Sammy Fain
Comments(2)