Cotton anniversary

It was on a rainy morning, two years ago to the day, that Stephen and I got married. I feel so blessed and grateful to know great love. Real love. The kind that makes your heart swell. The kind you think you can't contain. The kind that makes you warm. And fulfilled. And happy. And worthy.



We met in high school (though we both represented our respective elementary schools at 'Mathletics' in grade 6, so we may have met earlier still ;0) and while we were good friends in high school, the sparks didn't fly until college.

We would meet at the bus depot after class and wait for our buses to suburbia together. Then we would miss each others' buses on purpose so we could hang out longer. We did this a couple of times a week for 2 years! Then we finally did something about it and went on a date.

Our first date was to the jazz festival. Stephen worked at a local radio station at the time and had been offered free tickets to the JohnMcLaughlinn quintet and had asked me to join him. I didn't know who JohnMcLaughlinn was (still don't) but was excited to go on a date. I met Stephen at the radio station after his shift, but unfortunately he had to work later to record weather (I think). So I sat on a stool in the control room while he finished up by which time we had missed the show. Stephen thinks that this was when we started dating because at some point, a colleague from the station walked in and asked if I was his girlfriend (awkward, eh?) He asked me if I wanted to and I played along and said sure. He thought this was it. I thought it was a joke.

A few weeks later, we went to the fireworks competition together. In Montreal, they used to close one of the big bridges for the competition so that people could walk up and watch the fireworks from the bridge. It truly was magical. We were standing on the bridge in the dark of night looking up at fireworks which somehow mimicked how we felt inside. Stephen worked up the courage to wrap his arms around my waist. I still get goosebumps when I think of that moment. It really was electric. Later we sat on a park bench watching the crowd go by toward the subway. It was like time stood still for us as we enjoyed the closeness of each other on that bench while hundreds of people rushed by us to go home after the fireworks. It was perfect. I think that's when we started going out together.

So we never really celebrated anniversaries before we got married because we couldn't agree on when it was (we've been together 9 years and married for two of those). But now that our wedding date is etched onto our silverware, we can't argue over it anymore and instead take the time to commemorate time spent together and our great affection for each other which is exactly what we did today. And it was really nice!

Happy anniversary sweets.

Emu ;0)