Twenty

Twenty years ago this morning, I was awake early - up before the sun. I was visiting with the mother of the bride over coffee.

Twenty years ago this morning, I was anticipating the arrival of my sisters and niece and matron of honor. Looking at the dress hanging from the ceiling on a plant hook and still not quite believing the dress was mine and this day was really, truly happening.

Twenty years ago this morning was the most important day of my life up to that point. And even still, it remains on my life's top 5.

Twenty years ago this morning, I knew my life was changing forever. I felt happy. And exhilarated. And a teeny bit nervous.

Twenty years ago this afternoon, I got over my weird inability to never have a good smile when photographed.

Twenty years ago this afternoon, I literally beamed in every shot. I was glowing. And floating. I smiled gladly and often and never once had that slightly 'nervous' smile I'd always had in most every other photograph I'd ever been in.

Twenty years ago today, smiling became easy....because smiling came from inside from that point forward. Not something I had to 'try' to do. It just happened - almost instantaneously. Happiness ensued.

Twenty years ago today, we were thinking ahead to all the 'what if's' of our newly married life. 'In 10 years, we'll be..... . In 20 years, we'll be.... .' We're at that place now - 20 years forward with exactly what we expected - one kid in college, another still in high school. We're almost 50 and 61 years old - and here we are, exactly where we'd predicted we'd be. It's not like we didn't plan it - but yowza, it's a wee bit more complicated then we imagined.

Twenty years ago today, I married the man of my dreams. The man I knew was destined to be the father of my children and my life-mate within minutes of meeting him on a blind date.

Twenty years ago today, exactly 18 months from the date of our first date, I married J.

It's gone by so quickly......and I can't wait for the next 20+ years. Hopefully, in 20 years, we will both be happily retired and have no adult children living in our home. We will enjoy Sunday dinners with our kids and their kids - and long vacations, sleeping in every day, spending long, dreamy days with each other just 'hanging out'.

Happy Anniversary, J. I love you - and I'm taking you to the Orpheum Theatre in San Fran tonight to see Wicked. I'd kidnap you and stay at the St. Francis with you but you're not getting any younger (ha ha) and you need to get your eyes checked at 8:30AM Friday AND take B.'s car to get smog checked so I can mail in the registration payment.

It's a hectic, somewhat 'average' life we lead - with our lists of things that must be done - but I wouldn't have it any other way. We'll spend the day in the city with some shopping and meals and enjoy an awesome show and head home to our own bed.

Probably better 'cuz the part I never imagined 20 years ago was how we would hesitate to leave our not-quite 17 year old son 'home alone' for one night. We sort of glossed over that part of the 'what if' scenario, now, didn't we?

Ahhh....such is life. Such is our life.....

I don't think either of us would it any other way.

Twenty years ago today, I said 'I do'. And so did he. And we lived happily ever after.