Yes, I thought it was silly. But early into my marriage, we
celebrated those kinds of “anniversaries.” The one month anniversary. The first
New Year’s Day as a married couple. Our first Christmas as a married couple.
The first Valentine’s Day as a married couple. My wife is big into this kind of
thing but I generally just went along. It was important to her so it was
important to me, but, really, my heart wasn’t in it.
Now that we’ve been married a while – it was 25 years this
past August – I’ve come to truly appreciate one of these silly anniversaries in
particular – Jan. 25. It was on that date in 1986 that Rachael and I went on
our official first date. It was official because I specifically asked her to go
with me to the Movie Pub in Auburn to watch a movie, eat hot dogs and drink a
couple of beverages.
We’ve celebrated this anniversary every year without fail.
It usually includes flowers, a card and dinner out. And, like clockwork, I can
always count on someone to tease me about it. Tell me how silly it is.
But as I continue to read stories about high divorce rates,
I take more and more pride in celebrating the “little things.” The silly
things. Marriage is hard work and I look forward to celebrating many more
“silly” anniversaries. I have learned to appreciate these small moments that
have led to a wonderful life of love and happiness.
