Anniversary

Anniversary: the annual recurrence of a date marking a notable event (from the Latin, meaning returning annually)

            Twenty-nine years ago today at about 11:00 on a bright summer morning, I stood in the cool sanctuary of the First Baptist Church of Freeport, NY, and made my vows before God and a few dozen friends and family, to enter into covenant relationship with the love of my life, the joy of my eyes, the man of my dreams. George E. Little. We made promises to each other that we kept all the days of our life together.

I carried blue and white silk flowers, and the church filled with the fragrance of freesias.

Maureen and David stood beside us as witnesses to our nuptial contract, along with my son, Joseph and his close friend, Anthony. A young man sang “And I Love You So,” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8MOIs0Dd5g&feature=related) and his sister sang “Evergreen.” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-Ro7baEa6w&feature=related)

My mom cried.

I chose our wedding scripture from the book of Ruth, chapter 1:16, 17. “whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God. Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.” Yes, in the King James Version. That’s how I learned it.

Because I wanted a unique entrance, we traveled to the reception via Chris Craft with Dave at the helm. It was very cool.

George and I danced to “How Deep is Your Love” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBMriOspUvA), (Hey! It was the eighties, man!) There was cake and champagne,

and we visited with friends and family for the last time before departing--honeymooning from NY to California, where we began a new life, an adventure.

Now that adventure is over. Quoting Job, “the LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.” That’s not easy for me to say in this instance. We sang a song today in church about how “everything I once held dear, I counted it all as loss,” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdq9Q8wJdjc and that challenged me as well. Yet, I had the time allotted to me to be married to George, and I’m grateful for that. I just kinda wanted more. You know what I mean? I rather suspect that no matter how much time I had, I’d have wanted more--more of his touch, the love in his eyes, his wisdom and humor. And growing old together. We’d planned on that. I read somewhere about the plans of man and the plans of God. They don’t often line up.

Today is not a “bad” day, simply a sad day. Sad because I'm missing him. But I didn’t want our anniversary to pass without some kind of remembrance . . . for me and for George, because marriage is a gift, a good one is a pearl of great price, worth sacrificing for and pursuing.

Church can often be sad for me, because I spent my entire Christian life worshipping the Lord with George beside me. The songs we sang today brought many tears. But before I left, my friend, Rayna, prayed for me, reminding me that one day I’d be dancing with George again. I can picture that, and I guarantee you this . . . it won’t be disco.