The weather here has been unseasonably warm these past few days. Temperatures have been in the 90's, when they are usually in the 70's at this time of year, and the heat and humidity make it feel more like July than September. It is not the first time, though, that this day has been warm.
This would be my wedding anniversary, had I stayed in my first marriage. 31 years ago, it was also unseasonably warm and humid. My dress was made of a heavier fabric than one would choose for a summer wedding, as I had expected it to feel more like fall. However, it was still summer, and the wedding felt like a summer wedding. It's hard to believe that it has been 31 years.
Of course, it is another important anniversary. Most people remember the wreckage of the day. I always remember the beauty of the moment before. Blue skies, green lawn and breakfast being served on the patio at the location where I was attending a retreat (a retreat that I had been in charge of planning.) I remember the warmth of the sun and of the smiles of everyone as they sat around tables and talked. Smiles that too quickly turned to tears when the news of what had happened reached us.
Today there was a moment of silence on television for the victims of 9/11. But even in this moment of silence, I heard the buzz of the landscaper, cutting the lawn, oblivious to the moment as he drove across the grass, the warm sun above, his presence a reminder that life goes on.
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