It was a blazingly hot day in Modesto, but though I was in a white dress made entirely of polyester lace, I didn't notice a thing. Neither, it turned out, did the guy beside me, though his tuxedo must have actually been suffocating him. We were beyond noticing what the temperature did to us, because we were on a high over this crazy thing we were about to commit to in front of a hundred friends and family members.
We weren't church people, so we had rented the American Legion Hall, a semi-venerable building near the river. The deal-maker had been this huge oak tree, around which the back deck was built.
So there we were: the two of us, with one best friend apiece nearby to hold rings, flowers, and scripts. A judge who was a friend of my family officiated. We all stood under the oak tree while two sisters played guitar and flute, and family spoke, and then we spoke, and perhaps the tree spoke. There were so many pictures taken (by guests, not a professional photog), it sounded more like a press conference than a wedding.
Afterwards, we ajourned indoors for the reception. Another friend catered, and did a marvelous job. Not much dancing (I heard later people were still too hot from being outdoors to dance - who knew?), but boy did we eat and drink! I kept forgetting to sit down - there were so many friends to talk to and hug. But I kept this champagne glass in my hand the whole time. It never emptied, so I didn't think I was drinking much at all. I never figured out how I got utterly schnockered until later, when my friend George told me he had been placed in charge of refilling the bride's and groom's glasses all afternoon. He did his job with military precision! Oh well, we were entitled.
From that day to this, there have been more varied and diverse challenges in this marriage than I could ever have dreamed of. If we knew exactly what we'd be faced with, I'm sure neither of us would have braved it. Isn't that always the way? But we have this to show for it - sixteen years of learning and of true love. It was a road well worth taking.
Happy Anniversary, sweetheart!
Geniuses of countless nations
Have told their love for generations
Till all their memorable phrases
Are common as goldenrod or daisies.
Their girls have glimmered like the moon,
Or shimmered like a summer moon,
Stood like a lily, fled like a fawn,
Now the sunset, now the dawn,
Here the princess in the tower
There the sweet forbidden flower.
Darling, when I look at you
Every aged phrase is new,
And there are moments when it seems
I've married one of Shakespeare's dreams.
---- Ogden Nash (1902-1971)
Hey, congratulations. Wonderful!
Posted by: jo | June 19, 2004 at 05:55 PM
I live in Modesto today! .. If it's in California that is :)
Happy Anniversary!
Posted by: annah | June 20, 2004 at 12:33 AM
Happy Anniversary Pam & Honey!! I am not sure if any of us married types would have taken the plunge had we known what was ahead - but what we would have missed! ps. love the poem!
Posted by: ann | June 20, 2004 at 06:15 AM
Happy Anniversary (late)! I have to agree with Ann. Glad you guys are still sticking with it. :)
Posted by: Alicia | June 21, 2004 at 07:38 AM
Congratulations! That story was just lovely! * sniff *
Posted by: Kimberly | June 21, 2004 at 09:13 AM
Lucky you! I barely got to eat anything at my wedding reception.
Congratulations you two!
Posted by: Bob O'Shaughnessy | June 21, 2004 at 06:34 PM
Well, it's not as if I didn't give you fair warning before you went and did what you did. "You'll just end up living in suburbia with a child and a dog and a stereo and lawn-mowing Republican neighbors. You'll be feverishly looking around for intellectual stilmuation and all you'll have are lawn flamingos, futiley humping chihuahuas and NO ONE (ie, me) in the vicinity to talk about the important things in life (ie, new CD releases, new movies, 18th Century castratis, DeSade, obscure Kiwi directors, extremely trendy restaurants, Patsy and Edina, hypothetical film projects carried out by alter egos who don't exist and brilliant parodies of things either so peculiar or so universal they fail to attract the attention they warrant)." But did you listen?
But 16 years you say? Where the hell was I at that point? At Yale as I recall... Well, congratulations for 16 years of bledded wiss....
Posted by: Anthony | June 22, 2004 at 07:54 AM