The Love Lock Series: The Acoustic Strum Chapter

There are few things more soothing and worthwhile than the sound of someone playing an acoustic guitar. Silence enters the room as voices hush, listening for the first few chords to move through the air like an autumn breeze. Music is a solace for many, as lyrically we are connected with the songwriter’s human experience, often making us feel less alone. 

Nathan Foster, my former boss and now friend, attributes falling in love with his wife Mackenzie to two things: vulnerability and caretaking. 

In past relationships, he felt like he had to have his guard up. “With my wife, very early on in our relationship, I knew she was different. I knew that I could be 100% of myself around her and not only would she not judge me, but she would love me through it all. I was able to be vulnerable in new ways that led to a far deeper emotional intimacy than I ever knew was possible.”

Like a song that captures your attention right away, Nathan and Mackenzie knew their love was special from the start. 

Here’s what Nathan said about caretaking:

If you’re truly in love with someone, you’re going to be with them for a very long time, and in that time, you’ll see them at their best and their worst. There’s a reason traditional wedding vows include “in sickness and in health.” And yes, a part of that is literal physical health, but the far bigger part is caring for each other through the mental and emotional thick and thin. I’m actually a bigger fan of a phrase I saw in the To Write Love On Her Arms project, which says “from hurricane to harbor.” Life can feel so out of control sometimes, like a hurricane, and can lead to spiraling, whether in depression, anxiety, addiction, self harm, or any number of manifestations. If someone truly loves you, they will not only stay with you through these storms, they will take care of you and your heart until you’re back at a place of harbor, safe and revitalized.

He also added that many things lead to falling in love, like quality time and acts of service, but when it comes to staying in love, vulnerability and caretaking are the essential chords that keep the song going. Nathan and Mackenzie are each other’s acoustic strum.