The Legend of Acqua

a wedding tale

Long, long ago, before any of us knew that it was possible to find true love, there was a girl.  This girl was born by the sea in a small village where the stars shone so bright that they could be seen anywhere in the world.  She loved to dance, laugh, sing, and play for hours on the beach, the wind running through her long hair.

In a land far to the North, where the wine flowed straight from the hills, a young boy discovered his thirst for knowledge and love of art.   Always practical, he set his goals and followed them with fortitude until he achieved them.  He dreamed of one day leaving the hills and living by the shore, waking to the sound of the seagulls calling his name.

As the boy became a young man, he achieved his dream of living near the beach.  One night while out with friends, a sparkle caught his attention from across the room.  In fact, it was the sparkle in the girl’s eyes as she smiled at him.  His heart skipped a beat and quickly, he found his way over to ask her to dance.  They danced for hours – until their feet could go no more.  Then they strolled hand in hand through the harbor; it seemed the things they wanted to say and to share were endless.  As the waves gently lapped at the pier posts, the young couple shared their first kiss.  The moment their lips touched, a whisper blew from the water: …acqua…

Together, they grew up, traveling the world, discovering who they were, sharing in adventures near and far.  Unconsciously, they were always drawn to places with water.  In some places the water was warm like the bright blue-green inlets of the archipelagos of the southeast.  Other times, the water was frozen solid, like the streams under snowy peaks of many mountains.  Sometimes they were drawn to whole cities that were built upon vast systems of canals.

One day, while atop a mountain overlooking the most beautifully clear alpine lake, the boy told the girl that he loved her with all his heart.  He slowly knelt down, carefully retrieving a diamond ring from his pocket, and asked her to marry him.  With warm tears of joy and laughter, she accepted his proposal.  They were married at the edge of an evergreen lake under skies of blue.  They decided to move back to the sea to start a family in hopes that their children would share their same love for life, nature and people.

And so it is said, no matter the distance, when you stand at the edge of the sea and whisper the word “acqua,” your soulmate will hear.