Lover’s Lock

Lately I’ve been missing Europe a lot and all the things we did and didn’t do while living there. Before we left Germany to return to Chicago, we went back to Cologne. Cologne is one of the largest cities in North Rhine Westphalia—the name of the area where we lived. It was one of my favorite cities, probably because I ate every pastry imaginable and enjoyed my first wiener schnitzel there. But we made the trip back for a reason. At the time, I didn't know the reason. It was my Love's idea—a romantic.

There is bridge that runs across the Rhine River that sparkles in the sunlight. It isn’t until you venture along the walkway of the bridge that you realize what makes it sparkle. Locks. 

Lots of locks—there were thousands of colorful locks reflecting the sun and sentiments about how someone felt about another person. When I read the locks, I tried to imagine the people and what was going on in their life. Some probably were professing their love to someone they married, someone now long gone in their life, or someone who died. I really didn’t know. What I did know is that someone was important to them—they wanted to share with the world in color, chrome or silver, what their life meant to them at the time. 

Along the way, we found a place for our lock. Our names locked to a bridge in Cologne with many others. I may not make it back there, but I’ll always know we have a lock of love glistening in the sun. I smile when I think about it, and loved the idea so much that you’ll find a poem in my poetry ebook called Locks of Love.

Did you ever do something different to express your love? I’d love to hear about it.