Ben and Erika | Proposal

Yesterday was something incredibly special.

In the midst of a pandemic, it’s hard to sometimes find the silver lining when the world is on pause. It is something I have been struggling with these last two months or so; feelings of being lost in the world, feeling anxious or disheartened about the state of things. Today I had the beautiful reminder that life goes on and there is still so much joy to be found.

Ben and Erika are some of my dearest friends and some of the best people I know. When Ben came to me with the idea of a surprise proposal at one of their favorite date spots, I could not have been more overjoyed. We all need a healthy reminder that life goes on even in the midst of pandemics, and this was such a joyful moment to celebrate, I was practically leaping out of my sneakers.

Highland Park could not have looked more picturesque on that warm Wednesday afternoon. After an entire morning of clouds, the sun decided to peek out right as Ben and Erika made their way toward the fountain. With all of their family and friends crouched in the bushes a few feet away, their day soon turned into cause for celebration as Ben got down on one knee and she answered with an enthusiastic “yes.”

To all those dealing with a sense of loss during these strange times, whether that be loss of family, jobs, freedoms, mobility, etc; life will go on. Happy times will come again. You will feel the sun shine and you will get to hug family and you will yell “congrats!” once more. In the meantime, I think we should all learn to love the little silver linings we get, the sunny afternoons in a little park, the hugs between the friends and family we get to see, the excitement of new seasons to come.