I wanted to share some odd but true facts about anniversaries. What do you get a couple for their eleventh wedding anniversary? Let's look at the Hallmark Anniversary Gifts List that the company always features in the back of their calendars.
Traditional vs Modern:
1st: Paper/Clocks (How does one operate a paper clock?)
2nd: Cotton/China (How does cotton china work?)
3rd: Leather/Crystal (An odd combination, antonyms, like naughty and nice.)
4th: Fruit or Flowers/Appliances (Nothing says "I Love You" like some apples and a new blender.)
5th: Wood/Silverware (Or you could get wooden silverware, kill two birds with one stone.)
6th: Candy or Iron/Wood (But you got me wood last year!)
7th: Wool or Copper/Desk Sets (You have more than two choices at and after the 4th anniversary.)
8th: Bronze or Pottery/Linens or Lace (Or a divorce, which seemed to be the tradition in my family for a while.)
9th: Pottery and Willow/Leather (Not leather again!)
10th: Tin or Aluminum/Diamond Jewelry (Let's see, Reynold's Wrap or Diamond Jewelry? That's a tough decision right there.)
11th: Steel/Fashion Jewelry (Or Illness in mine and Doug's case. We gave the gift that keeps on giving!)
Between the 16th and 19th wedding anniversaries, you no longer receive traditional gifts. If you make it to the 20th, you get China/Platinum. The 25th is the Silver Anniversary. The 40th is the Ruby Wedding Annivesary (celebrated in England mostly). The 50th is the Golden Anniversary. The 55th is the Emerald Anniversary (Also not as celebrated in this country, but should be). The 75th is the Diamond Anniversary. Anything after that is all diamonds, and if you make it to a 100th Wedding Anniversary, you get a ten karat diamond. My question is has anyone made it to their 100th? It's seemingly impossible. And that's all you get? I would want a parade or something. *shrugs*
Anyway, eleven years ago today, my husband, Doug, accepted the terms and conditions of me when he said, "I Do." There's something amazing about that. Eleven years isn't that long really, not compared to what it felt like when I was younger, but with marriage being taken so lightly these days, it is an accomplishment. Anything after eight years in my family is an accomplishment. But marriage is a covenant. Eleven years ago, I entered into a covenant with Doug, then I decided I was going to do my own thing. I had been married once before, and it didn't work out. When I entered into the first covenant with my first husband, I had a picture of what a wife was supposed to be. When I got divorced barely two years later, I blamed myself. Maybe I wasn't a good enough wife, but I did all of the right things. I cooked and cleaned, packed lunches, had dinner on the table every night, but my first husband wasn't interested in that. So when I entered into a covenant of marriage with Doug, my perspective of what a good wife was supposed to be was ruined. I had no idea what I was supposed to do. There were different rules, a different playing field, but ultimately the same game. And I don't know if I'm a good wife. I have a better idea of what's she's supposed to be, but have you read Proverbs 31 lately? I'm always going to miss the mark according to that. For starters, I can't sew. Seriously, I can't make clothing out of flax. But I digress...
So Doug took all of me, my flaws, my issues, my quirks, my eccentricities, he accepted all of the terms and conditions of me, and I'm so thankful for that. God really does give second chances, and He really gave me a gift.
That's about it. I will now assault your mind with images from a wedding.
Here we are!
I will give out the facts and details of our wedding day later. I think I need a nap. I'm exhausted.
By the way, Happy Valentine's Day again!
If you want to look at some of the wedding pics, you can go here on my Facebook page.
No comments:
Post a Comment