Anniversary -- the years turned
The day was sunny! Sunny like liquid gold pouring out of the blue. Looking out the window now, I realize it was a gift. I woke early ... not that I had slept long. I remember the sense of awe as I realized I was about to make promises I would mean and keep and be kept by. I couldn't get up fast enough.
We had decided on 10:30: I'd have set the time earlier but I was admonished that that would be unkind to the guests: {"Come on! People have to get up, dress and drive!} -- I wanted to BE married all day.
I had a Maid-of-Honor and 4 bridesmaids -- I'd have had more but Ed finally said, "you are DONE!!" I kept telling him, "she has to be there -- she is my best friend." He told me I didn't understand the concept. But they were! One at a time, each one uniquely and separately: best friend.
I got ready at the church -- the bathroom was kind of tiny. Lots of excitement! Lots of laughter. The photographer decided to take the pre-wedding photos of me out in front of the church. It was awesome! I got to greet the guests as they arrived. The poor photographer was quite patient! "No, wait...I'll be right back. It's ______________"
Someone wise told me that to keep from crying as I walked down the aisle (I AM a cry-er) to catch the eyes of the people I knew as I walked toward Ed. BRILLIANT! It worked!!
As we took communion, Ed's sister and a very good friend sang the Lord's Prayer -- hitting the line, "Give us our daily bread" just as we were taking the bread -- people thought it was planned and rehearsed! Well . . . not by us. Another gift.
As he began to say his vows, Ed got choked up and I was still holding my flowers (why?) -- I turned and gave them to my maid of honor and grabbed Ed's hands, holding him tight till he could get control.
We had the reception at Ed's parents house ... we did the wedding on a shoe string, so it was a salad pot luck. It was brilliant -- and sweet! People kept calling saying, "OH! Can I bring something too? I have a great salad." We felt loved and showered with blessings. We have lived doing enough things on shoe strings that we can weave all those shoe strings into a quilt big enough to cover several houses. This memory helps me remember what sweet gifts God gives when your own hands are empty.
And we blinked our eyes and we had been married 33 YEARS!!
Thirty-three -- 33! I love this year. Images, and symbols, and meaning ~ I love them. I love pattern and confluence. So Two 3's : God's number times 2! Cool!! Then it is 7 years (completion...Two 3's plus 1. Biblically that is so significant! Again: cool!!) unit we are at 40 years. ( yup, another number of significance! a generation...so many 40's in scripture!) People mark the 5 and 10 year demarcations. Those haven't been the significant years for me. I remember when we reached 5. I knew it was important, like when a child is finally old enough to go to school for the first time. But I knew our marriage was barely more than a toddler. We, during that year, finally began to learn to read each other. We could finally begin to understand as we sounded each other out. I hardly remember the 20th anniversary, but at the 21st I knew our marriage was mature -- I remember saying "our marriage is an adult". Now -- 33!
Thirty-three years sounds like a long time. And...I know...it is. It just doesn't feel like it. I told Ed this morning that I have lived through days that felt longer than this 33 years. What it feels is rich.
ANNIVERSARY:
Origin: 1200–50; Middle English anniversarie (< Anglo-French ) < Medieval Latin ( diēs ) anniversāria anniversary (day), Latin anniversārius recurring yearly, equivalent to anni- (combining form of annus year) + vers ( us ) turned, past participle of vertere ( vert- turn + -tus past participle suffix) + -ārius -ary.
So : It could be translated according to the etymology as "The years turned" ~ I like that!
We had decided on 10:30: I'd have set the time earlier but I was admonished that that would be unkind to the guests: {"Come on! People have to get up, dress and drive!} -- I wanted to BE married all day.
I had a Maid-of-Honor and 4 bridesmaids -- I'd have had more but Ed finally said, "you are DONE!!" I kept telling him, "she has to be there -- she is my best friend." He told me I didn't understand the concept. But they were! One at a time, each one uniquely and separately: best friend.
I got ready at the church -- the bathroom was kind of tiny. Lots of excitement! Lots of laughter. The photographer decided to take the pre-wedding photos of me out in front of the church. It was awesome! I got to greet the guests as they arrived. The poor photographer was quite patient! "No, wait...I'll be right back. It's ______________"
Someone wise told me that to keep from crying as I walked down the aisle (I AM a cry-er) to catch the eyes of the people I knew as I walked toward Ed. BRILLIANT! It worked!!
As we took communion, Ed's sister and a very good friend sang the Lord's Prayer -- hitting the line, "Give us our daily bread" just as we were taking the bread -- people thought it was planned and rehearsed! Well . . . not by us. Another gift.
As he began to say his vows, Ed got choked up and I was still holding my flowers (why?) -- I turned and gave them to my maid of honor and grabbed Ed's hands, holding him tight till he could get control.
We had the reception at Ed's parents house ... we did the wedding on a shoe string, so it was a salad pot luck. It was brilliant -- and sweet! People kept calling saying, "OH! Can I bring something too? I have a great salad." We felt loved and showered with blessings. We have lived doing enough things on shoe strings that we can weave all those shoe strings into a quilt big enough to cover several houses. This memory helps me remember what sweet gifts God gives when your own hands are empty.
And we blinked our eyes and we had been married 33 YEARS!!
Thirty-three -- 33! I love this year. Images, and symbols, and meaning ~ I love them. I love pattern and confluence. So Two 3's : God's number times 2! Cool!! Then it is 7 years (completion...Two 3's plus 1. Biblically that is so significant! Again: cool!!) unit we are at 40 years. ( yup, another number of significance! a generation...so many 40's in scripture!) People mark the 5 and 10 year demarcations. Those haven't been the significant years for me. I remember when we reached 5. I knew it was important, like when a child is finally old enough to go to school for the first time. But I knew our marriage was barely more than a toddler. We, during that year, finally began to learn to read each other. We could finally begin to understand as we sounded each other out. I hardly remember the 20th anniversary, but at the 21st I knew our marriage was mature -- I remember saying "our marriage is an adult". Now -- 33!
Thirty-three years sounds like a long time. And...I know...it is. It just doesn't feel like it. I told Ed this morning that I have lived through days that felt longer than this 33 years. What it feels is rich.
ANNIVERSARY:Origin: 1200–50; Middle English anniversarie (< Anglo-French ) < Medieval Latin ( diēs ) anniversāria anniversary (day), Latin anniversārius recurring yearly, equivalent to anni- (combining form of annus year) + vers ( us ) turned, past participle of vertere ( vert- turn + -tus past participle suffix) + -ārius -ary.
So : It could be translated according to the etymology as "The years turned" ~ I like that!
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