Special Edition – 26th Wedding Anniversary

Pam and I were married on this date in 1996. Today would be our 26^th wedding anniversary. It was a Friday. For years I would tease Pam because she thought of our anniversary as being the day after Thanksgiving rather than November 29^th. We laughed about it nearly every year. Isn’t it funny what little things bring joy and laughter into our lives. It is wonderful.

Having our anniversary close to Thanksgiving helped by having some family already close by for the holiday. We had a simple ceremony with few people in attendance including two of our dear, longtime, happily married friends to stand up for us. It remains, and probably will be, the only time Pam’s and my children were together with us in the same place. That, too, was wonderful.

But this year the timing of what should be some of life’s best celebrations becomes one of my biggest emotional challenges. I was a basket case for much of last Thursday! Fortunately, my son and his partner were with me and graciously endured my emotional breakdown.

I knew it was coming. I even warned them. But I wasn’t prepared for the depth of the pain that surfaced as I set the table, and the house in general ahead of their arrival, and during their visit. Pam so loved this season and even more so as it has included our anniversary for the past quarter century. I tried hard to make the place, and the day, something she would have liked.

I’m not sure how today will go with me since I exhausted so much emotional energy last week. Something inside tells me it won’t be easy. But I’ll have “Tacos” tonight in honor of the occasion. We loved to go for Mexican and had our special restaurant and favorite menu items (always including margaritas!). Pam called it going for tacos, but her favorite order was Chicken and Rice (Arroz con Pollo). Something else to joke about from time to time. The happy memories are wonderful.

I miss her so much!