Margaret isn’t awake yet. In a while, though, when she does wake up, she’ll get out her iBook and come to this page. When she gets here, everyone jump out and shout, “Happy Anniversary!” because today’s the twenty-second anniversary of the day we married back in Rockport, Massachusetts. We’ve managed our way through a lot in the interval, and there’s a challenging spell just around the corner, but together we can make it through anything.
WeddingAlice Oswald
From time to time our love is like a sail
and when the sail begins to alternate
from tack to tack, it's like a swallowtail
and when the swallow flies it’s like a coat;
and if the coat is yours, it has a tear
like a wide mouth and when the mouth begins
to draw the wind, it’s like a trumpeter
and when the trumpet blows, it blows like millions....
and this, my love, when millions come and go
beyond the need of us, is like a trick;
and when the trick begins, it's like a toe
tip-toeing on a rope, which is like luck;
and when the luck begins, it's like a wedding,
which is like love, which is like everything.
I delight in telling the World Wide Web and all its habitués how deeply I love her, and how thankful I am for every day Providence affords us. Happy Anniversary, dear!
Posted by AKMA at June 12, 2004 06:16 AM | TrackBackWell, you all have just about twenty years on Laura and I (our own 2nd was a couple weeks ago), but this is exactly the kind of example we're going to need to live out our own challenges and joys. Thanks and keep up the good work. You've got young'uns to inspire.
Posted by: Micah at June 12, 2004 06:42 AMHappy Anniversary!!
Posted by: Shelley at June 12, 2004 07:11 AMHappy anniversary! I trust the two of you have some well-deserved celebration planned for today.
I hope that Sage and I can emulate your success in our own pending nuptials. (PS Who was your caterer?)
Posted by: steve at June 12, 2004 08:28 AMHappy Anniversary! Wahoo!
Posted by: Tripp at June 12, 2004 08:52 AMHappy Anniversary!
Posted by: Matt at June 12, 2004 09:08 AMBest wishes from me as well. Though you have been at it longer than I, I would still encourage you to keep with it. That way you can tell me what it's like to be married to the same person for a long time.
Posted by: Paul Baxter at June 12, 2004 11:20 AMHappy Anniversary you two! And congratulations!
-R
Posted by: Ryan Whitley at June 12, 2004 11:53 AMHappy Anniversary!
Posted by: Pascale Soleil at June 12, 2004 03:46 PMA joyous anniversary to you both, and our good wishes for twice as many and more to come!
Posted by: Jane Ellen at June 12, 2004 04:26 PMHappy happy and many more!
Posted by: Krista at June 13, 2004 03:56 PMThanks so very very much, Micah, Shelley, Steve, Tripp, Matt, Paul, Ryan, Pascale, Jane Ellen, and Krista! It’s positively intoxicating, and we’re happy as can be. Well, maybe if we were going to be spending the next two or three years in the same place we’d be happier — but we don’t dare complain.
Steve, our wedding was catered by the people who came out that morning to pledge their support to our marriage. Humble fare, and not a ton of it (there wasn’t anything left by the time Margaret and I were done “receiving” everyone), but it was the best of any wedding I’ve ever attended: sweet, rich, healthful, lovely, given as a sign of love.
Posted by: AKMA at June 15, 2004 12:20 PMI would've wished you a happy anniversary sooner, but I was off creating my own future anniversary of being ordained to the diaconate. Many blessings for both of you.
Posted by: Reverend Ref at June 16, 2004 07:38 PM