Thirty Years of Glory

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Today is my thirtieth wedding anniversary.  When Marianne and I told our friends we were getting married, the old married hands warned us, "Someday soon you're going to wake up thinking, 'Oh my God, what have I done?'" but assured us it was a natural thing and we'd soon get over it.

I'm still waiting.

Actually, no, I'm not.  After thirty years in which I have never once regretted marrying this woman, I'm pretty confident that day of doubt will never come.  For all the mistakes I've made, opportunities missed, and stupidities performed, this one thing I got right.  And as far as I'm concerned, one good decision pays for all.

Yesterday afternoon, Marianne and I celebrated thirty years of glory by throwing a party and inviting all our closest friends.  Then, just after the last guest left, the trick-or-treaters started to arrive.  For odd micro-demographic reasons, we never get very many kids on Halloween.  But yesterday we did.  So many that we had to raid the refrigerator for cans of soda and dip into our emergency backup stash of candy to treat them all.  But we had enough to be generous to each and every young costumed visitor.

So it was a particularly good day for me.

And I'll bet you're wondering about the pendant above . . .

As an anniversary present for Marianne, I commissioned a one-of-a-kind pendant from Janet Kofoed.  It's a representation of the Southern Cross (which is part of our private romantic mythology) with two rubies, a diamond, and a pair of sapphires representing the constellation's stars, as glimpsed through a silver twig.

Janet is a wonderful jeweler and for the quality of work she does, she doesn't charge enough.  I always tell her so, immediately after writing the check.  You can check out her work here.

Commissioning an original piece of jewelry is such an adult pleasure.  It makes you feel like you've gotten somewhere in your life.  Like you're a person of substance.

Which, of course, you are.

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