More Than You’ll Ever Know

My wife and I eloped in New York’s Central Park.  It was November, an outside wedding, and a memorable 27 degrees (Fahrenheit.)  There were only five of us, my wife and I, the pastor and his wife, and the photographer.  And it was amazing and perfect.

After our vows in the Shakespeare Garden, we strolled through the park for hours, taking pictures as we went, singing and laughing throughout.  One of my favorite moments was finding Ralph.

We heard him long before we saw him.  Ralph was all alone, standing in the distance, playing the saxophone.  As my wife and I drew near, Ralph congratulated us, and then began to play a beautiful slow melody.  My wife and I seized the moment and shared our first dance, mostly alone in Central Park, in November, freezing in the frigid winter. And it was amazing and perfect.

Ralph was there, as he is most days, playing his saxophone, trying to make a living.  Little does he know how memorable and magical that moment was for us. I think the same is true for us all.

In our everyday lives we interact with hundreds, if not thousands, of people.  And I suspect that we’ve all played a memorable and magical part in someone else’s story without knowing just how special the moment was.  We all get discouraged when people we know are struggling, wishing we could do something to help.

Don’t lose sight of the fact that your kind words and actions have more impact than you’ll ever know.  Keep showing up.  Keep playing your music.  And know that you are making a difference.

And if you happen to be in Central Park any time soon, please look for Ralph and let him know he helped create a memorable and magical moment in our wedding.