Of Thanksgiving and Anniversaries...

I awoke on Thanksgiving morning and looked up at my ceiling which lit up and became like a movie screen. 

Upon this screen I could see an outline of the East Coast and thousands and thousands of lighted kitchens in thousands and thousands of homes. I could see women in aprons placing turkeys into ovens. And in each kitchen there was light and warmth and baking scents and a daring anticipation (one I wish we had daily).

What a lovely vision to awaken to on Thanksgiving morning.

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Yesterday was Tom's and my 27th anniversary, which still feels odd because half the time I feel I am only 27 years old. Well, in body, but in mind I feel older because I feel wiser than I did back then--wiser, happier and a million times more peaceful. 

It's not popular to say this, but I love this getting older stuff.

So anyway, Tom and I did not exchange cards or gifts yesterday-- can you believe that? Instead,Tom was able to take 12 days off from work prior to our anniversary and we spent those days together in our new little room watching movies and tv series on DVDs. Ok, that probably sounds incredibly dull, but you know? For us, it was marvelous. There was a grace upon us to spend our vacation that way and grace always brings a serene kind of contentment.

I love having a marriage history. I love that we have ironed-out many things which used to make us scream like children. And I love that we finally got wise and learned to let each other be unique and have some space--

--and to stop with the pressure to do things like everyone else does. Like with anniversaries--who says we MUST travel to Europe or take a cruise? Who says we MUST buy cards and gifts? Who says we MUST put that pressure upon ourselves? As long as both of us are fine with no cards and gifts and no Europe, then it's perfectly ok for us to skip them.

A marriage history--it's like writing a book each year of what you have learned both to do and not to do. Memorizing its pages and gleaning wisdom from them--

--and gleaning peace, too. Blessed, blessed peace.



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