The other day on a walk with Cora, I stumbled upon an area of Xalapa I had never been to before.  We were on our way to the park, and these odd looking tree sculptures were along the bridge near the lake.  Upon closer inspection, I realized they were stuffed full with locks, each with an inscription of some sort.  You may have heard of a similar concept on a bridge in Paris.  It turns out these “love locks” are happening all over the world, in Moscow, Rome, and yes, even in Xalapa, Mexico.

Love Lock Tree in Xalapa Mexico

{The Love Lock Tree in Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico}

The basic idea is, you bring your lover (or luvah, depending on your pronounciation 😉 ) to this tree, say a vow of everlasting love as you lock your padlock to the tree, and then throw the key into the water below as a sign that your love can never be broken.  Fabulously romantic, right?  On our first free afternoon, I told Orlando to get ready, that I had a surprise for him.  When he opened a bag and saw a lock, scissors, pen, and chocolate, I am pretty positive he thought he was being abducted.  Nevertheless, we traveled to our spot and meandered along the path until we came to the tree.  Here are a few of my favorite locks we found:

Love Lock in Xalapa Mexico

{I loved the inscription on this one, such a beautiful sentiment.  It essentially says, “You are one of the reasons that I am happy.  It’s a privilege to have your friendship! Joael and Diana B.F.F. 2007-2014”}

Love Lock in Xalapa Mexico

But now, it was our turn.  It’s amazing how doing something so personal, so heartfelt in a public place can turn a married couple of almost 4 years into awkward teenagers all over again.  Orlando nervously decided what to write on our lock, and I caught myself giggling trying to think of what my “vow” would be.  I can’t tell you exactly what was said (maybe it’s like a wish that if you tell someone it won’t come true), but I can tell you Orlando and I were having a hard time looking each other in the eyes for fear of tearing up.  We talked about how our time in Xalapa has really encapsulated our entire married life, and it’s filled with so many memories of Cora’s first steps, first time living FAR away from both our families.  It’s really where we’ve grown up, where we’ve seen our love mature.  A little public display of affection, and we locked our vows in place forever.

Love Lock in Xalapa Mexico

The keys were ceremoniously tossed into the lake, and we asked a random stranger to take a picture for us.  Yet as we walked away, we fell back into our normal routine of chatting about our days, Cora, our plans for the future.  It was a tender moment, surrounded by the comfortable rhythm of everyday life.  Marriage in a nutshell, really.  They say you should always keep dating your husband, and remember to make your marriage your top priority, especially for your children’s sake.  Orlando and I aren’t perfect, but it’s little moments like these that bring us back to each other and make us realize that we simply have to be the most important people in each other’s lives.  The outside world is simply too cold and harsh to go it alone.

So if you ever happen to be in Xalapa, Mexico, and you stumble across a bridge with strange looking trees, feel free to look for our love lock.  It will still be there, maybe even for years to come.  And hopefully we’ll be out in the world somewhere too, keeping our vows one day at a time.

Love Lock Tree in Xalapa Mexico

XO,

A