Anniversary (ies)

Today (in the UK...4 hours to go still in Eastern Standard Time) is our first wedding day anniversary. And we are not together. And....its ok. We Skyped until after midnight and it was a special moment to be able to speak face to face on our anniversary. I had a little cry, but it was not sadness, it was out of love and appreciation for this special relationship God has blessed us with. And after the moment had passed and we'd said our goodbyes, I started thinking about this anniversary business.

We have two anniversaries to celebrate. We had our legal ceremony on November 19, 2009 and our wedding ceremony with all our friends and family on September 2, 2010. And so, today we celebrate our first wedding day anniversary. And its important. And somehow, it does feel more special than when we celebrated our first legal anniversary last November 19th. It must be a result of the sentimental pertinence of being surrounded by family and friends when declaring your commitment and love to one another.

Not that it'll stop us from celebrating twice a year. We've decided that on our wedding day we will celebrate with gifts and on our legal day we will celebrate by trying out a new activity or having some quality time. I kind of like that.

But I digress, the importance of a public union...and it does lead one to wonder about whether eloping will have the same effect. Of course, the important thing on any wedding day is the commitment of one to another. However, perhaps there is something to be said for all the bells and whistles. It creates a comfortable, special atmosphere, a grand day that makes the time and energy and investment of others worthwhile (and lets face it, when its someone else's wedding day, it IS an investment of time and money, despite the joy of witness) and it gives you a sense of community. And perhaps that is the key. Community. Of course, we feel sentimental about November 19th and therefore will continue to celebrate it as it was a very significant point in our lives. But our wedding day?

September 2, 2010. Simply.

And so today, without presents and without a "date night" and without being able to wake up next to my husband, I still appreciate his kindness and humour, his gentleness and sincerity and above all, his steadfastness. A quality that I love about him more and more each day. There is no kiss and we cannot hold hands but within me, I feel closer to him today than I have since I left the UK.

If nothing else, anniversaries are simply an excellent reason to remember why we are in-love. And we are.