Last night we attended a celebration of the wedding anniversary of two people who’d been legally married for 30 years but spiritually married for longer.
There were lots of people. Who behaved mask-wise. And people who knew they could trust they were in a safe space. You know what I mean.
We met this anniversary pair serendipitously years ago. And the arc of their lives more or less traced the arc of mine and Beth’s. They’d met at U of I. The four of us had worked at the same places. Just a few years apart. (Beth and I are older. Damn.)
They both gave toasts. They were both great. I was struck by one passage. A preface: “I’d had girlfriends in high school, but I reached the stage where I thought, “What’s the point?” He went on to explain that you’d start dating, with the idea in the back of your mind that this isn’t going to go anywhere.
He explained that they worked together, and before they were lovers/partners whatever you want to call it, they were friends.
I was immediately clued into why we are friends. I met Beth in a journalism class. We got to know each other with no goals or agendas. We stayed in touch, and we were ourselves. By the time we reconnected, I had decided it would be OK if I never had a life partner.
And that’s part of how we got to where we are.
So, to our dear friends, thanks for that celebration, for being our friends, and here’s to many more years.
OMG. Mike, every time I read the blogs you and Beth post, my brain starts churning, but this one is different. Happy Anniversary and congratulations on getting the prize of a life time.
lovely
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