Wait, what’s the date today?
Posted
July 10, 2008 at
1:54 pm by
Prescott
Tuesday marked the day that my beautiful wife and I got married 13 years ago. It also marked the fourth (fifth?) time we forgot about it and let the day pass without mention or fanfare. Hell, we even wrote it on the calendar and we still forgot about it until yesterday, and even then it was just, “Oops, we missed it again.”
I’m sure some of you are wondering how we could let such an important occasion just slide by. Well, because it’s not an important occasion to us. Sure, there have been years when we have surprised each other with a gift or night out, but just as many that were celebrated with a handmade card, or a note left on the laptop. Here’s the thing — getting married is the easy part. It’s staying married that requires the daily commitment, work, and compromise. Setting aside an extra day to celebrate our marriage just seems superfluous — we celebrate it 24/7. If my wife needs that one day a year set aside where she’s made to feel special and loved, then I’m not doing my job the other 364 days. But as it is, we couldn’t be more devoted to one another, and each envision growing old and frail together. (Jessica, feel free to step in and correct me if I’m wrong.)
So are we just freaks, or does anyone else out there feel the same way about their wedding anniversary (and its little brother Valentine’s Day and inbred cousin Sweetest Day)? Or if you’re the complete opposite, please lend a differing point of view.
Tags: divorce, Family, marriage, wedding-anniversary |
17 Responses to “Wait, what’s the date today?”
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1. Allison G. said:
July 10, 2008 @ 4:07 pm
I’d like to make a bigger deal out of Valentine’s Day than we do, but when the other equal half of the relationship doesn’t, well then you just make do with what you have, I guess. We spent this V-Day at a dinner with him talking about his female co-worker half the time. ???????
We don’t do anniversary gifts anymore. And the cards stopped a couple of years back. Sometimes we get a sitter so we can go to the movies, though.
But this year is the big 1-0. I figure that’s a signifigant-enough one to go to Vegas and celebrate. We’re gonna do the tacky Elvis-officiated vow-renewal, too. But next year we’ll go back to the traditional peck on the lips “Happy Anniversary, Babe.”
Cute picture of you two, BTW.
And what the Hell is Sweetest Day? Is that the same thing as the Simpson’s Love Day?
http://simpsons.wikia.com/wiki/Trash_of_the_Titans
2. Jen on the Edge said:
July 10, 2008 @ 4:09 pm
Amen brother!
We always remember our dating anniversary, but have actually forgotten our wedding anniversary a couple of times. We’ve made a point to be better about that in the past few years, if nothing except to have a reason to go out and have an hour or two away from the children.
3. Prescott said:
July 10, 2008 @ 4:15 pm
Yep, pretty much.
4. Grandma frm Ks. said:
July 10, 2008 @ 4:42 pm
Prescott, you funny man you, some one asked my husband how often does he say “I love you” he said “I told her when I married her that I loved her, if it ever changes I’ll let her know” Now he does tell me he loves me all the time, and the 24/7 is us altogether, whats one day out of the year if the rest is screwed up? Just so you know after 46 yrs it’s all great and we could’nt be more in love or happier, some how I just grew on him, LOL, and BTW incase you have read any of the nasty rumors about me being a child bride, well it’s true and like I said it’s been 46 yrs. Happy Anniversary to you and yours. One more thing, when you first started this story you said “my beautiful wife” to me those things husbands say are more precious than a date of an Anni.
5. Lillyann said:
July 10, 2008 @ 4:51 pm
Really cute pic!
I am a *card* kinda gal! Mushier the better, LOL!
How very sweet of you to write this
6. jamie said:
July 10, 2008 @ 6:44 pm
My husband and I just “celebrated” our 13th too.
The thing is, we were traveling. In Spain. With the kids. Obviously all bets were off.
But fortune favors the organized, and I had packed a card which I presented it to him with flourish over breakfast (early, to get the jump on him).
“You BASTARD!” he said.
I love that man.
7. Stacey S_MOD said:
July 10, 2008 @ 8:13 pm
YOU FORGOT YOUR OWN ANNIVERSARY??!!! OMG! What FREAKS!
I would totally play the frigid bitchy card if my honey forgot our Anniversary…but Valentine’s Day is the stupidest “holiday” ever!!! Chicks are ALWAYS disappointed & guys are always in the dog house…it’s a no win situation. I wait until the day after and get my box of chocolates 50% off. SCORE!
8. Rita said:
July 11, 2008 @ 3:37 am
We’ve always been flexible with celebrations of things. We do like to remember it somehow, some way, some time close to the date. That counts for birthdays and other holidays too. Anniversaries are usually low key, just a nice dinner (either out–all of us, or cooked in), no cards, no gifts, unless you count when we accidentally conceived the little one (on our 13th anniversary, too!).
9. Kristy said:
July 11, 2008 @ 10:19 am
We have forgotten it was our anniversary once, but to be fair it was the day dh had to get the staples out of his leg after it got caught by a boat prop, so we had other things on our mind.
We will usually go out to dinner on a weekend night the week of our anniversary, partly just because we rarely get a sitter and it gives us a good excuse. But I agree–we’re happy and in love every day. No need to make a big fuss.
10. anthromomma said:
July 11, 2008 @ 12:10 pm
I’ve never heard of Sweetest Day before. Do people really (per Wikipedia) give candy to the sick, aged and orphaned?
We’re pretty low key about our anniversary here (although we usually actually remember it
— it helps that we were married on my brother’s birthday). I like the idea of renewing our vows at some point, just because we were bullied by our families into having the BFD wedding that neither of us wanted.
We don’t celebrate the days of false obligation (Valentine’s/Mother’s/Father’s/etc) at all (because they are stupid), and I hate greeting cards and cut flowers (because they are stupid, cliched and a waste of money and resources). I don’t have a problem with post V-day clearance candy, though– I’m not a total grinch.
11. Jessica. said:
July 11, 2008 @ 1:29 pm
[quote comment="178142"]some one asked my husband how often does he say “I love you” he said “I told her when I married her that I loved her, if it ever changes I’ll let her know”[/quote]
LOL. That’s cute.
I say pshaw. All those Hallmark holidays, let people that have too much money buy uninspired chocolates. I’ll take my appreciation of my marriage on a daily basis.
12. Sharon said:
July 11, 2008 @ 4:14 pm
I forget your anniversary every year too–and I was there! :o)
I have to say, yours was one of the nicest weddings I’ve had the honor of standing up to (I was the groom’s bridesmaid of sorts since the groom was my best bud). Believe it or not, I even still have the dress! (Yes, I’m one of those freaks who keep most of their bridesmaid dresses).
As far as anniversaries go…I’m behind a few years (we just had our 7th this year). Maybe the only big deal to be made should be on those “milestones”.
It is weird though…I always feel like when you wish someone “congratulations” on their anniversary, it’s equivalent to saying, “can’t believe you made it another year!”
13. Allison J said:
July 11, 2008 @ 10:54 pm
My husband and I just celebrated our 2nd wedding anniversary. We went to dinner, spent a fortune, and my poor husband spent most of the meal vomiting in the fancy pants bathroom (stomach flu out of no where!)
I agree w/ Preston — not much for fanfare or overtly romantic gestures (mainly because it makes me really uncomfortable). I don’t do Valentine’s Day. I refuse to let my husband buy expensive flowers that die ASAP (probably because I forget to put them in a vase). I’m not into pricey cards that I’ll just toss after spending $4.99 on it. If others love it, great. Just not my speed.
Tonight my husband and I and 6 friends celebrated his birthday with an animated dinner (a b-day tradition among our group). These are the celebrations I really cherish — celebrating milestones with friends and family — having fun and hanging out. We rarely exchange gifts — we’d rather just enjoy each other’s company.
14. Allison G. said:
July 11, 2008 @ 11:10 pm
Jessica, just as long as you didn’t say “Happy 13th Anniversary Preston”, I think you’re marriage is doing just fine!
15. SHS said:
July 12, 2008 @ 12:27 pm
Well can’t comment on the being freaks part, but honestly I never can remember if it’s been 26, or 27 years. We both didn’t realize it was our 25th when it came.
I think it actually means you don’t need a date to remind you that you are a happy couple.
Congrats!
16. Kymberly said:
July 13, 2008 @ 1:35 pm
I think we are succesfully blowing holes in the “Only children think it’s all about them!” mindset Prescott because your first paragraph aptly describes how Mr. Wonderful and I handle our own anniversary.
We got married on the same date as our first date (to make it easier to remember) and most years a day or two before “the date” we look at the calendar and say “oh cr@#”
17. Maureen said:
July 14, 2008 @ 9:28 pm
I view my anniversary much the same way that I use any major holiday/celebration/good news/Tuesday night–An opportunity to drink lots and lots of wine!