Love and Jamaica

Nostalgia fills my soul as Canon in D echos the expanse of the magnificent cathedral.  Weddings remind me of the persistent, unwavering innocence of hope, raw and unfiltered devotion, a frightening commitment spanning the rest of your days.  Hope is not lost on youth though, it is embraced and nurtured there, the excitement of endless possibilities and genuine, uncontrollable happiness.  That's right, love rules.

The bride and groom are brilliant, dazzling even.  Full of life and romance, ready to charge ahead with their unique love story.  Embarrassing anecdotes shared, kids dance, cocktails flow, broad smiles and tears stream down beaming faces. 

Chatting with the groom about their honeymoon plans in Jamaica the following week, Paul mentioned we had also vacationed in Jamaica a few years ago.  He remembered some of the language; not the translation for good morning or what a lovely day, he remembered "Chaka-Chaka".

Groom:  What does that mean?
Paul:     You look like shit.

I'm hoping the groom soon forgot this quaint Jamaican greeting, but will remember for a long time the extraordinary in every single ordinary day.  In sharing life, effortlessly joy can be found in something as odd and extremely irreverent as a Jamaican insult. 

Moments gather and what seems mundane eventually morphs into a lifetime of beautiful shared memories.  We learned Jamaican slang years ago and shared it with newlyweds.  In years to come I hope they reminisce about learning a new language together and share it too.