Seriously, It is My Anniversary, Easter, and Yanks Opening Day!!

Today is a big day! Today, I celebrate 3 years of marriage with Josh. Quite an accomplishment. I must say in this day and age and my tendency to be moody, I am impressed we have made it this far. Today is also Easter, the day He rises. I am not quite sure what a bunny and creme filled eggs have to do with what I perceive as the Yom Kippur of Christianity, but hey, if you celebrate, have a blessed one (Robyn taught me that is what you say). If this 70 degree, sunny day could not get any better, it just did! In a few short hours, the Yanks open the season!!!!!!!!!! It is kind of a buzzkill that they are opening at Fenway, but nonetheless, the boys are back and summer is on its way.

April 4th (4-4) three years ago, was on a Wednesday. Josh and I were married in his Uncle Alan's living room in Omaha, Nebraska during Passover. That was probably one of the craziest things I have never done...not the getting married part, but going to Omaha!! In any case, the date is good one because it is made up of even numbers that add up to another even number (8 if you are slow). I LOVE even numbers, but hold a soft spot for 7, 9 and 15. Odd, I know. I recall my bro in law Jason giving a speech about the significance of the numbers 4 and 8, but of course I cannot recall. I do know this. To me, four is whole. There are four seasons, four cardinal directions, four winds, and four elements. There are four chambers of the heart, four walls to home. Isn't home where the heart is? Now, according to Christianity, eight represents regeneration or rebirth. In Hebrew, it is of intelligence. The temple was sanctified in eight days. The octagon is the beginning of the transformation of the square into a circle and vice versa. So, that being said, this day, while like any other day for many of you, is very important to me. It is a day of meaning, just based on the date.

It is also important because as my anniversary, first and foremost, it confirms for me that I am not a failure when it comes to relationships. When I was married to my ex, we did not even make it to the 6 month mark of our marriage (only in the legal sense). He told me that I was a relationship failure, used goods, and that no one would want to be with me. Nice guy, right? For one second, at the lowest point of that time period, I think I believed hi. m Despite divorce proceedings proceeding, we were still married. That anniversary was July 31st. A date is just a date, but not when you are going solo to a friend's wedding on the same date that was supposed to be your first anniversary. But I made it through with the support of loving friends and a lot of alcohol. When I look back on that un-anniversary of mine, I recall more laughing than crying on my part, but I can never forget that date, nor will I ever forget Erika's anniversary for that matter. After her wedding, I went home and took a bite of the top tier of cake that was saved from my wedding the previous year. It tasted like freezer burn and shame. Shame because I got married despite a nagging in my gut that said "dont do it", despite the fact that I knew, deep down, that marriage would not make things easier or better. I cried then, my tears falling on a stale cake paid for by my father's hardworking hands.

Josh and I did not have a top tier of a cake or even a slice to freeze in anticipation of our first wedding anniversary. And you know what? Did it really matter? The frozen cake is a silly thing that someone made up and a good marriage is not built upon the ability to make it 365 days together only to stand with fork in hand eating a bite of it. The point is, marriage is not easy, and no matter what the significance is of the date or number or year your anniversary is on, every day should be cause for some type of celebration. I am ecstatic when Josh pulls the shower curtain all the way across the length of the tub so that you cannot see into the actual shower. I jig a little when he puts his dishes in the dishwasher or admits that he was not listening to a word I said. Is today, 4-4 a day to celebrate even more? Of course, but due to Easter, we had to have our anniversary dinner last night since most restaurants are closed and because we needed to be home to watch the Yanks tonight. That's what I call romance!