Yule, Anniversary, and Contemplation

Today is the first day of winter. This is also a very special day - 31 years ago today my parents went to the courthouse and entered into the wonderful world of marriage. Although my father only lived to celebrate 24 anniversaries with my mother, she considers today her anniversary, and a special day, as much as ever.

My parents were very much in love and endured their fair share of hard times - and I think they also took on enough hard times for others as well. However, my growing up was always filled with happiness, even when times were hard. I am thankful for the hard times, they taught me to adapt when needed (like when my Sweetie was out of his industry for a couple of years and money was very tight) and to appreciate when things are going well.

My mother is the strongest woman I know. After losing my father, she was left with little insurance, out of date job skills, and a house to maintain. The catch was that she bought the house so long ago that the mortgage was cheaper than moving to a smaller place. My father has been gone for a little over 7 years. During this time, she paid off her house, found a great job where she was reintroduced to the working world (she worked with my father for 15 years in the family business). She became computer literate and even when she found herself unemployed due to a lay off, she continued to help the company that could no longer afford her. She is now in a position that she loves and that I hope will remain challenging. She handles tragedy and situations the way I do, one day at a time. We know we can overcome anything. As I am sure you can tell, we are extremely close.

I know she misses him terribly today. I cannot blame her. I try to cherish everyday with my Sweetie knowing that something can happen at any moment and take all this wonderfulness away. We must appreciate those we have, while we still have them.

I think my parents’ anniversary helped to choose my wedding date (and the college calendar). I always associated their anniversary with Christmas. My Sweetie and I will celebrate 7 years on January 3rd. Much like my parents, we endured our fair share, and then some, of hard times. However, I am happy to say that we kept our faith and focused on our love and finish our 7th year stronger than ever before.

Tonight to celebrate Yule, and to make sure that my mom gets out of the house, we are going to DarkDiva's house for Yule dinner. This should be wonderful. The whole clan should be there, except for MotoDiva's husband who is in Afghanistan. I cannot wait. I simply adore these women. They are strong, intelligent, and unique. They are unlike any past friends, mostly with the intelligent and strength issues. We are not like a click in high school. We do not dress alike or speak alike. If you saw us apart, you might never guess we are good friends. Our ages range from 28-37 (shhhh she claims she is 35 and 30 months). While we are all married, these relationships are as different as we are.

Tonight we will dine and enjoy each other’s company. During the long drive to DarkDiva’s house, I will ask my mom to tell me the story of how my father proposed and about their wedding day.

Whether you are celebrating Yule, winter, an Anniversary, or simply a Tuesday I hope your evening is wonderful and magical.