Anniversary

Twelve years ago today, I walked down the aisle at Cameron United Methodist Church in Alexandria, Virginia. It was a beautiful day, everyone was where they were supposed to be, and the groomsmen were not hung over (as far as I could tell). I was thinner than I'll ever be at any point in my life again, though I think a lengthy stomach flu could get me into the ballpark one of these days. My proud stad was at my left side, supporting my arm in the crook of his. He was wearing a white shirt under his tuxedo, even though I had told him approximately 782 times that my dress was ivory and that his tuxedo shirt should match. To men, the difference between white and ivory is tantamount to "splitting hairs."

At the alter stood my intended, smiling widely. He had a ding on his forehead. The day before, he had slammed his skull into an overhang at my sister's house. Then he informed me that it was actually my fault that he had injured himself, because I had called him from the other room.

Fifteen minutes later, we were hitched. A dozen years later, we stand on the other side of home ownership, a cross-country move, four miscarriages, multiple dogs and cats, and most life-altering of all: parenthood. The kid gets mad when she sees photographs from our wedding. "Why wasn't I there?!" she fumes.

I'm not much of a poet, but I thought I'd share the poem that was read at the wedding:

Wedding Poem

I'll fold up my heart
Like an origami bird
And present it to you
For safekeeping

And sometimes you'll unfold it
You won't remember
How to get it back
Just the right way

Or you may press it too tightly
As between the pages of some
Too large tome, until
It flutters and bounces into focus

And me, I am collecting
Here is the night I asked you to dance
Here is the moment you sank to one knee
Here is the day of hopeful promises

Together we have spun ourselves
Into something familiar, yet not overly so
My friend, my valentine, my husband
Encircling my heart in a band of gold
*******************
Happy anniversary, handsome. I still dig you. But please know that when you kick the bucket, I am still planning to sell all of your comics for one dollar. Cheers!