30 Aug Christina, The Simplicity of Happiness

So, I’m following Christina through the streets of San Francisco, through North Beach and Little Italy, and having the time of our lives. We reach Kerouac Alley between City Lights Bookstore and Vesuvio and pause under the books that are suspended overhead like birds and I drop quickly to my knees and shoot this photograph of a girl in love. She’s got this huge smile, sporting her newly acquired engagement ring, and we are in search of the perfect wedding gown. I loved the search, from local San Francisco designer Amy Kuschel to Vera Wang’s flagship store, we hit them all – only the best for my girl. But in true Christina style, none of these lit up her eyes. Our only acquisition was down a back alley where we shared an amazing pulled pork sandwich from Little Skillet and then shared her favorite red velvet cupcake as we sat on the curb under the cherry blossoms.

A few weeks later back home, Carol popped into a local mom and pop wedding gown boutique in Fort Worth where Christina used to work and I was summoned for my opinion. Simple but elegant, sewn by a single seamstress in Spain, tears filled our eyes as we knew this was the one. Our suspicions were confirmed on my next wedding planning trip by the bay as Christina slipped on her new dress, glanced in the mirror and she didn’t have to say a word, I’ll never forget that smile. Simplicity has always been her trademark. Maybe that’s why John 3:16 is one of her favorite and first memorized verses. 

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son. That whosoever believeth in him shall not parish but have everlasting life.”

It doesn’t get much simpler than that.