We are in a very popular wedding season right now. I feel like I have people on Facebook giving a shout out to their significant other for a wedding anniversary every single time I log in right now. In fact, I was doing that same thing just a few weeks ago (9 years...whoop...whoop). It makes me smile every single time. In a day when divorce is so very common, I can't come up with more than maybe two friends who have had to go down that awful road. And the ones who have, have come out renewed and have married again...in a lasting way. I see year after year, commitment after commitment, of people having found their soul mates. It warms the heart. It really does. I pray that we all keep fighting for our marriages and our loves just like we are doing now. 9 years, 10 years, 35 years, and beyond.
The part that leaves me scratching my head is when I see a post saying something to the effect of "14 years ago on this day at this very second, our eyes met across the room and that was the beginning of the end for us. We have been together ever since that very second" or "Our first date happened on this day 7 years ago." Say, what?!? You really remember that? I can remember that Heath and I had our first date at Applebees (12 years ago? Or 13?). I remember some of what we talked about. I think it might have been in the fall(?) Maybe. I remember a few girls from my dorm floor stopping us and going on and on about how cute it was that the two of us had just gone on our first date and how great we were together. Whoa! Slow down, OK!?
I should interject and say right here that I am terrible with numbers. I forget almost immediately what the date is when I wake up in the morning. I can always tell you what day of the week it is, what happened that day, and how I felt, but the actual date...flies right out the window!!! Today is August 29th, right? Checked the calendar. Literally, just stopped and did this to reassure myself on the date. It's the 28th!!!!! FAIL!
Back to wedding anniversaries. Want to know why I'll never forget my wedding date? Because even if I tried, it's engraved on the inside of my wedding band...BOOM! Anyhow, we have a hard time buying for anniversaries. We even look up the "appropriate" wedding gifts for each year. I just looked this up recently, but I couldn't tell you what the gift for year 9 might be. Modern day gift...I want to say leather?! HUH!?! Here you go, Heath! Some fancy pants just for you!!! NOT!
Anyway, a few days before our anniversary, Heath looks at me with a twinkle in his eye and tells me that he was asking around for ideas at work. One of the ladies (OK, the only lady in the office...love you, Mary) told him that she's heard about men buying watches and setting the time to the exact time they got married years before. Heath looked at me and grinned (I love his grin) and very confidently told me we got married at around 11 in the morning. I burst out laughing! I was full of superiority! It definitely wasn't in the morning. It was around 2 in the afternoon. Right? Or, wait!!! It was definitely on the 30 minute mark. You should always get married on the upswing of the hour. That's a thing, right? So, was it 1:30 or 2:30? I still haven't checked the wedding invitation because I'm almost postive it was 2:30 and I don't want to burst my own bubble. That sounds right. Or was it? SEE!!! I can't even remember the exact time of the start of the most important moment of my life!!!
Know what I remember? Waking up at 5 in the morning so full of excitement that I couldn't get back to sleep. I remember waking up one of my bridesmaids at 6 because I didn't want to be alone watching Saved By the Bell on the biggest day of my life! Kati, you are the best! You didn't need the sleep, right? I remember all of the prep work. I remember when it was time for the rest of my life to start. I remember looking at my Dad full of nerves wondering if I was going to cry my way through this ceremony and telling him he was absolutely not to cry or I WOULD LOSE IT! Know what he did? The best thing he ever possibly could have done. He looked at me and smiled and told me that I had always had a level head and made good decisions and that he had no doubt that I had made a good decision this time. I remember this huge weight lifting off of my shoulders. I remember those huge doors opening to a crowd (a pretty big one) of faces smiling at me. Faces that had loved me and Heath from the very beginning. Some faces that had never met me before, but were still smiling at me because I was the one Heath chose. And then I found his face. My favorite face. My husband's face. I cried at every wedding before mine and every wedding after mine, but I didn't cry at my own. I felt peace. I felt love. I felt like it was 100% right. I don't remember the time, but I do remember every detail of how I felt that day.
I also can't tell you the date of the day we got engaged. It was June-ish of 2004 (bonus points for getting the year). He was leaving to move to Houston, Texas. I was staying in Ohio. I was pretty sure if he left without putting a ring on my finger, that would be the end of the best thing I had ever known. Guys. He put a ring on it. Very late at night. On the last night before he left. At the house I grew up in. My mom was sleeping. My Dad and brothers were watching a movie. I was in my pj's and headed to bed. Heath followed me up to my room to say good-night, got down on his knee in the pitch black and asked me to do him the honor of being his wife. It was perfect. I remember every detail...except the date!!!! OOPS!!!
I wish I had a mind for numbers. I'm probably (hopefully) never going to forget the actual birthdate of any member of my family. The other numbers might go (and more quickly than I'm anticipating) with time. Hannah is only five and I still have to stop and really think about what time she was born (4:41 pm, thank you very much). I can give you the time and her weight, but her length is already gone. I'm sure the other numbers will be gone soon, too. Luckily, I wrote them down. I can tell you exactly how I felt, though. I remember every gory, beautiful detail. I remember crying in wonder. I didn't have the most fun pregnancy. I literally threw up every day through the whole 9 months. I was miserable. I remember looking at Heath before they had even cleaned Hannah up and brought her back to me and telling him that I would absolutely do it all over again. Because of the love I felt that day. In that moment. And every moment after.
Guess what? I did it again. 2 more times. I threw up basically the whole pregnancy with the next 2 as well. Stinkers. Camden and Logan are going to throw me for a loop. One was born at 12:06 pm (Logan) and one was born at 12:17 pm (Camden). I can tell you now who is who, but in a few years, I will probably forget. However, I guarantee I will always be able to tell you how I felt with each baby. (Side note. I just put Logan down for a nap and have a poster up with all his birth stats in his room. He was born at 12:07. Dang it!!!! Now I need to go back and check Camden's time. Oops again! Camden was actually born at 12:16. I was close! Don't feel too bad for my kids)!
I have had 4 best days of my life so far. I can tell you the dates (so far) and the times (sort of...close enough), and I can guarantee I can tell you exactly how I felt, even as the numbers start to fade. I wish I had a mind for numbers. I have no doubt that those of you with minds for numbers who can remember dates AND times can also remember the feeling. For me, I'll just have to stick with the feeling...and general date. Any of you want to remember the exact dates and times for me, too!?!
Isn't life amazing, you guys? Soak in every single major (and minor) detail. Whether you remember details (like dates...I'm just jealous of those of you who can) or not, I guarantee you will always remember the feelings. What a blessing!
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