What a remarkable day. Not only is the date a unique one, but it is significant to me personally in a few ways that are intertwined in odd & inspirational ways. Allow me to explain.
20 years ago on this day, my grandmother passed away. I was 16. It was the worst thing that I had known to that point in my young life. She died of a massive heart attack at the age of 69, and I missed her dearly & still do. In years past, I have walked in or dontated to the American Heart Association's Pittsburgh Heart Walk in her memory. This year, this event just happens to fall on 10-10. I think it's a remarkable coincidence that truly honors her memory that the event takes place on the 20th anniversary of her death.
I made a donation to this year's Heart Walk, but I am not walking. That is only because 10-10-10 is my very first wedding anniversary. It was a happy coincidence that 10-10 fell on a Saturday last year. I always wanted an October wedding, and when I realized that 10-10 was a Saturday in 2009, I thought it was a great way to remember & honor my grandmother. Though none of our grandparents could be at our wedding, I wanted them all to be there in spirit, especially my mom's mom, who had died on that special day all those years ago. So, I also carried in my hand the rosaries she had given to my mother to carry on her wedding day. I carried them with my flowers & thought of her. We also asked my friend Jennifer to sing Ave Maria before our ceremony. My grandmother had a devotion to the Blessed Mother, and I remember that the Ave Maria was sung at her funeral.
Now, you might be thinking that we are morbid. Why would I want to get married on the anniversary of such a sad day? Because it was also an important day in my life. It was a day that really touched me. The first time that I started to learn what the circle of life was all about. I think that the saddest days of our lives are also some of the most significant ones & sometimes need to be acknowledged & remembered. Most importantly, I believe that my grandmother went to a better place on that day all of those years ago & that she was reunited with all of her loved ones that went before her. My grandfather just passed on Dec. 5, 2009. I enjoy thinking of them finally being reunited after all of those years apart. It makes me smile. I wanted to take that sad day & make it a cause for celebration.
Another oddity is that Paul's maternal grandmother passed on 10-01-09, just 9 days before our wedding, and mine passed on 10-10-90. I am a number geek, so all of these weird date coincidences freak me out! In a good way. :-)
Sometimes when I can't sleep, I like to imagine all of my grandparents (and Paul's grandma, who was the only of his grandparents I knew) hanging out together, singing, laughing, gardening, cooking, and doing all of the things they did in life when they were young, happy, and healthy. It comforts me to think of them like this. Free from the discomfort & pain of old age & illness. And watching me with love from whatever place is waiting for all of us when it's our time to leave this world.
One year ago today, on 10-10-09, Paul & I took the love that we feel for each other & shared it with our families & friends. We celebrated it, and we continue to celebrate it by living that love each day. We completed the circle of life that began 20 years ago. Happy anniversary to my soul mate, my partner in this madness we call life, my rock, my lover, my friend, my husband, Paul.
very nice!! lovely!
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