Over the past 10 years, something bizarre kept happening to us.

1. A kind stranger would secretly take our photo.
2. They’d approach us to say that they did, didn’t quite know why they took it, just that we looked cute together.
3. Then they’d offer to AirDrop it to us if we wanted.

It had happened 6 times in different cities and countries, but the 7th time, it wasn’t a stranger at all.

The first time Amara and I ever spent time together was at home in Chicago on 05/26/2016. After a full day walking and laughing all over the city, we decided to relax at the beach.

Maybe 5 minutes after we sat down, someone walked over and said “you two looked too cute together, I had to take a photo.”

Needless to say, we were shocked and grateful. Now, in retrospect, the fact that we somehow have a photo of the first day we spent together is kind of magical.

But of course, this was only the beginning.

Less than a year later, on Amara’s birthday (03/03/2017), we were walking around the Garfield Park Conservatory here in Chicago.

This time, someone stopped us and asked if they could take an Instax photo of us. Of course, we’d love that!

Two random strangers made our day, twice.

But then the strangest thing happened.

Exactly 7 years later, to the day, the tradition continued. On Amara’s birthday (03/03/2024), this time in Miami Beach, another sweet person secretly decided to take an Instax photo of us.

He then marched over, said that we looked cute, and that he wanted to give us this Instax photo.

I don’t know if this is typical for other people, but we’re both floored that this had happened on 3 separate occasions.

We thought that 3 was the maximum number of times that this could ever happen.

And it probably would only ever happen in the US.

Right?

Well, we couldn’t be more wrong.

Less than 2 months after Amara’s birthday, we were in Rome, Italy.

And, sure enough, while admiring the Trevi Fountain, a kind girl walked over, tapped me on the shoulder, and said that we looked so happy together that she took some pictures of us.

The odd part is how consistently people seem to not know why they took the photo(s). They approach us with an I’ve never done this before look on their face, yet somehow feel compelled to offer it.

It’s really sweet.

But now that it had happened in multiple cities in the US and one time in Italy, we knew that had to be it.

Well, in Miami Beach over Memorial Day weekend (05/24/2025), we were recording a video at the Air & Sea Show when a kind woman filmed us recording ourselves.

Coincidentally, we were filming ourselves while taking a photo with our own Instax camera. So now we have a video that somehow encapsulates this entire sequence of events perfectly: a video of us, recording on a phone, and taking an Instax photo.

I truly thought this was the end of the story and here is where I would get to the surprise twist. But no…

On the morning of February 26, my nerves were at an all-time high. We were in our favorite place, Miami Beach. But the nerves were because I had a very special surprise planned for that evening and I wanted it to go off without a hitch.

This surprise would bring this story full circle.

But then, the unexpected happened.

As we were sitting on the beach, we noticed a guy walking in our direction.

He was just entering the beach, but, since we were in a very quiet area with few others around, it was strange that he was making a beeline toward us.

Well, as he got closer, I thought that I recognized him. Just a few minutes ago he was sitting on the beach, maybe 30 yards down, just behind us.

Sure enough, he walked directly up to us and said,

“You two looked so cute when you were hugging that I took a picture. I don’t know if you want it…”

As I was extra dumbfounded, more on that in a minute, Amara said, “You’re never gonna believe this, but this has happened to us all around the world.”

And Kind Stranger #6 said, “It’s the energy you give.”

And just like that, he disappeared.

He apparently snapped the photo of us when he was sitting on the beach, thought about it as he was leaving the beach, and felt compelled to return just to AirDrop it to us.

We both looked at each other and silently both wondered: is this even real?!

So, back to my nerves.

Since 5 different strangers (now 6! 🤯) had surprised us by taking our photo over the past ten years, I had a little surprise of my own for Amara.

Amara is impossible to surprise, so I had to be smart about this.

I had been planning for months.

I had my broader cover story: a trip to Miami Beach for her birthday.

I had my day of cover story: a nice early birthday dinner so we have to leave the sun and avoid burning on day one.

I had my moment: a “stranger” taking our photo.

Little did I know that Kind Stranger #6 would take our photo earlier that day…

I was hopeful that his photo would help throw her off the scent of what I had in store, but it was a variable I hadn’t planned for.

So the afternoon rolls around, we head back to our Airbnb to clean up, and then out on foot to the restaurant.

But instead of just walking down the sidewalk, I suggest we walk down the beach. She (thankfully) agrees to.

Then, as we’re walking down the beach, shoes and 360 camera in hand, we see a kind person walking up to us with a camera.

She’s testing a new camera lens and had just taken our photo as we were walking down the beach.

Is it ok if she takes a couple more photos of us? Of course it is!

So she poses us in front of the water and snaps another pic.

Then, asks us to face each other.

As we do, Amara can see something’s wrong.

I’m starting to tear up.
Then I start saying “Ten years ago…”

Now she’s crying.

This kind stranger wasn’t a stranger at all. She was there to document our engagement.

Tears were rolling down Amara’s face.

She said yes.

And our story continues.