Yes....yesterday marked 40 years from the day when Marty and I said "I do" on a magnificent Saturday morning with a nearly entire day celebration. From my perspective, the day was absolutely perfect, even though we would joke later that it was the "longest day of the year" since it fell on the Summer Solstice.
Now if there is one thing that I've learned in my life, it is that such events should never be taken for granted. This is a HUGE milestone, even though, to me, it really doesn't seem nearly that long. I'd swear that the time was much shorter, except that I have grown children to prove otherwise.
Perhaps that is how you know you've married the "right" one. Perhaps there really is something to good "chemistry" in a relationship. (I'll get back to this later.)
I fondly recall 40 year anniversary celebrations for my parents and my in-laws. In fact, I have memories of celebrating their 25th, and 30th as well. The kids and their families all gathered together for a special blessing in church followed by a celebration of some sort. A festive occasion, filled with laughter and family camaraderie. And, it was certainly in my plans to follow suit. With our anniversary falling on a Sunday, what could have been more perfect than attending mass in the church where we shared our vows, with my parents joining us, as well as my children and their families?
I had really hoped to plan a relatively simple affair, but one that included at least all of my children, grandchildren, and my parents, of course. But I had not yet booked a venue or made definitive plans when Covid-19 made its appearance. And soon it became all too obvious that my dream of fulfilling a family celebration with all my closest family at hand, was going to have to be put aside. I wasn't willing to have anyone risk traveling at this time, particularly since both my county and my parents' county were still in the Yellow phase.
Was I disappointed? Well.... sure. Who wouldn't be? But my disappointment stemmed not from being the center of attention, but from missing a rare event when we could all be together for a celebration. This really would have meant the world to me. Because, let's face it.......we aren't getting any younger.
But, I refused to be disheartened by a course of events for which I obviously had no control. Let's face it, the day would come regardless of whether or not we celebrated in style, or just simply alone.
Much to my delight, my daughter and son-in-law decided to come and spend the day, along with their three red headed cuties. They haven't visited in quite some time, and so the drive felt like forever to the little ones who really haven't been out of the house in months. And, you should probably know that even an hour with this gang seems like a grand party....at least to me, so this was the perfect solution to having at least some celebration.
So, I baked a cake, and decorated it a bit, because, after all, it IS a special occasion.
And we spent the day enjoying the simple joys of being 1 and 4.
We ordered a scrumptious dinner from a nearby Italian restaurant, named Julianna's, who did not disappoint.
And with this much delightful entertainment in the house, how could we not enjoy the day?
The girls sang "Happy Anniversary" which sounded a LOT like Happy Birthday, but it served the point. (they were a bit disappointed that there were no candles to blow out.) Then, Marty and I posed while we cut the cake.
Which, by the way, was absolutely delicious!
Honestly....how COULD we ask for anything more?
Before I draw this to a close, I want to follow up on the premise of "perfect chemistry." Some of you might not be aware of the fact that Marty and I met as lab partners in a Chemical Engineering class our senior year of college. Marty was a semester ahead of me, and so it really was quite by chance that we would have even had any classes together. We can thank our fellow Chem E colleague, John Feathers, who picked us both simply because he knew that we had the same work ethic and wouldn't leave him to complete all of those lab papers and reports. I'm sure he never dreamed that his simple choice would result in a chemistry that drew Marty and us together. And, as a result, I've always joked that Marty and I made good Chemistry together. I'll spare you from other nerdy comments as I'm certain that you get the point.
So, keeping that background in mind, just how how great is this card?
Pretty clever, don't you agree? And certainly perfect in respect to the circumstances.
I owe a grand thank you to my Aunt Annette for taking the time to find such a personal card that fit the occasion! It really made our day.
Her thoughtfulness combined with all of the well wishes that were sent my way via facebook, as well as special texts from my close high school friend, Tammy, and Marty's Aunt Susie, all added to the specialness of the day.
So, I can honestly say that this celebration of 40 years was definitely one for the books. Or, at least in this case.....one for the blog. Thanks for following along.
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