We were married on May 18, 1980—the second marriage for both of us. I came into the union with an old Camaro that was paid for and my grandmother’s crystal. Bill came with three children ages 10, 16 and 19. I can still see their faces grinning at us as we said our vows in St. Michael’s and All Angeles.
May 18, 1980—the day that Mt. St Helen’s erupted. No—we did NOT do it. But the love lava has flown continually since that time!
Every month since then, we have celebrated on the 18th. Sometimes it was a lovely meal in a restaurant. Sometimes it was a special bottle of wine. And with age, our competition became who could remember FIRST that the date was the 18th. In the pre-Covid Days when I traveled, time zones often gave me the advantage. “Happy Anniversary”, I’d holler into the phone, waking him up at 5:00 am in California but 8:00 am in NYC.
Now we’ve become more mellow in our competition and it’s just a matter of smiling and saying the words. But here’s the deal: to say to each other—every month for 41 years—“Happy Anniversary” is a solid reminder of why we are together and to—once again, affirm our commitment to each other. Or I sometimes tease him by whispering, “You can stay for another month”.
What might you like to commemorate?
Comments