I’m just gonna go ahead and spit it out. Cancer sucks. I hate it. It’s stupid. Chad has it and he married the love of his life, Caroline this past saturday.
I don’t know these guys. I don’t know anything about them. I didn’t even bother to ask their occupation, or how they met. When I was approached to film their wedding, the only thing that mattered to me was that Chad had cancer and that they would really appreciate it if someone could come and film their ceremony for two hours.
I’m not going to pretend like I know anything about cancer, disease, or loss. I’ve been lucky to not have encountered any of that yet, but I’m not stupid – I know it’s going to come to those I love and care very much for. And so when I spoke to the coordinator, I simply said yes. Sure, I’ll do it. It was two days away and I didn’t have any plans. Why not, right? I truly believe that God has blessed me with a gift for the arts and has allowed me to be a part of lives through the form of film. A part of me felt that it was my duty to do this. So I did.
On the day of, I decide to show up for more than just the two hours they requested – because, if I’m going to drive all the way to wheaton, I might as well put together a little film for them, right? I’m so glad I did. I witnessed the love and care Caroline had for Chad. I saw nothing but smiles and joy in the faces of their loved ones as these two shared their vows with one another. Nobody mentioned the troubles Chad and Caroline were going through – the house was filled with joy. And that’s what I filmed. Through their celebration, I’ve learned that the struggles you will face do not matter if your eyes are focused on the things you have worth rejoicing. With that being said, don’t expect any sadness in this film. I didn’t see any of that this past weekend – all I saw were smiles.
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