Seven Year Itch

Our sixth wedding anniversary came and went last Sunday with minimal celebration. Stewart has not been home much and we are all suffering from the disruption of our family routine. He is working hard for professional success and to secure our dreams of relocating to CT, but his absence is hard to overlook in the here and now. Last Sunday it broke my heart a little to not get to spend time with him, even if it was with the kids.

Now that my dad is here with us for a few weeks, we look forward to a nice date to recognize the missed occasion. Dinner at Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse followed by a viewing of “Wall E” is what we have planned. First we have to apply for a second mortgage, but our credit is good…

Whenever our anniversary comes up I think about our wedding, and like so many things in the past I remember it in images fading slowly up and down. Mostly what I experience is a longing for that incredible event of having everyone I loved gathered in one place. I wonder if that will ever happen again, and I am sad that not all of those same people are close to us today.

Lately that makes me think of one specific couple, two people who were such good friends to both Stewart and me, and how they are struggling today. We were very involved in their wedding, as they were in ours, and sadly, they will not make it to their 7th anniversary. It hurts my heart to see them go through this painful division, and I cannot help but take it as a cautionary tale. Hold tight to your love, but let it breathe, and give it strength and comfort. You are a family now.

So now Stewart and I are in our seventh year of marriage, that fabled milestone of strife. I’m paying attention.