Yesterday, July 30th, was our actual anniversary. We have officially been married for 25 years. Amazing. This whole trip has been amazing, so you’re probably wondering what incredible things happened on the actual day. Well, I think I can safely say that it was a little different that what Kevin had originally planned.
First of all, he had arranged for a private tour of six homes that had belonged to celebrities of yore…Doris Day, Bing Crosby and the like. Now, he knew that this would’ve been just the thing to float my boat, as I am CRAZY about old movies and anything having to do with that era in history. There are people that are living in these houses now, and they are contracted with a tour company. But, apparently, if they don’t want to give the tour, even at the last minute, they don’t have to. It just happened that this was the outcome of his plan, and there was no tour on our anniversary. He also had ordered some jewelry that didn’t get to him in time, so that was another plan thwarted. So, he finally put together the perfect restaurant for a special dinner.
Well, we got to the restaurant and it had all the makings of a perfect evening – very intimate (only 15 tables), French decor, coats for men required, excellent food rating. In reality, we had terrible service from a waiter who was being trained by a woman who apparently didn’t like us as well as the other ONE table of people in the restaurant. When I knocked over my water, I had to ask if we could be moved to another table instead of dining on the soaking wet napkin that she used to sop up my spill. Incredible.
You might be tempted to think that our anniversary was a complete bust. But you know what? It wasn’t. It was a day well-planned that got side-tracked by life. Sounds like marriage, doesn’t it? For twenty-five years we have planned our future together; some plans have come to fruition just the way we’d hoped, but many others have been derailed. We’ve had to pick up the pieces of dashed plans and fit them together to make a different, but no less beautiful picture.
We spent our day yesterday leisurely walking through shops and galleries. We found some new artists that we love and would’ve missed otherwise. Even though our dinner service was less than exemplary, we had a wonderful conversation over a very tasty meal. We exchanged cards filled with words penned from the deepest places of our hearts. And, when we got back to the hotel room, I gave him my gift – DVDs of all our home movies, starting with our wedding.
Together we watched a 19 and 20 year old share their intentions with each other, words they had thought through and pledged to uphold the rest of their lives. Despite their age, we were shocked by the depth and weight their promises carried, by their very prophetic nature. How precious to start the next 25 years by revisiting the starting line of the first.
All of the hiccups and imperfections of the original plan were woven together to a create a day that was perfect for us – I can only pray for blessings of the same in the years ahead.
For An Epilogue, click HERE
Oh that is just beautiful Melinda!
It seems really perfect and really true to life, like you said. Your attitude and spirit were incredible and I bet you wouldn’t trade any aspect of your trip at all!!
Thank you so much for sharing with us!
Hugs and blessings~
Fran
Melinda, (and please share with Kevin), Jeff and I are so blessed to have you two as a couple to look up to for what doing life together looks like. We love you so much and are so thankful for the first 25 years of your marriage, as well as the next 25. Here’s to you, Kevin, and all that God is doing!
We love you like crazy!
Lisa and Jeff
Thank you for sharing your memories with us. May God give you 25 more and beyond from this day forward.
Oh what a foretaste of the glory that awaits us all…
peace~elaine