A Week of Anniversaries

Yesterday was my one-year anniversary at the firm. I've promised a post on litigation v. corporate work, but I'll just say for now that I really, really like what I am doing. I even frequently love what I am doing. I am so much of a litigator I can't believe I spent five months as a misguided transactional attorney. I love my firm, enjoy the people I work with, have received excellent reviews and am always home for dinner. I have no idea what I'll be doing in 10 years, but I am almost entirely happy with what I am doing right now.

And today is JP and my four-year wedding anniversary. Right now when someone asks how long we've been married I always feel the need to add in the four years we spent dating - now that we've reached the half-and-half mark, maybe I'll stop doing that. Adding those extra four years just makes our relationship sound so much more substantial. My dad still always includes the five years he and my mom dated, so maybe it's something I won't cure.

I wrote the sappy anniversary post last year and it remains true- September 3, 2005 really was the happiest day of my life. But as I was flipping through our wedding photos last night, reminiscing about that fun day, it was this picture that stood out:

I didn't know this unposed picture was taken until I ripped open the box of proofs when they were shipped to me in Chicago a few weeks after the wedding. (Our photographer didn't do digital photography, something I greatly regret in choosing him.) My dad and I were in the hallway of my childhood church, waiting to walk down the aisle. I thought my face was going to split I was smiling so hard and I was worried I looked ridiculous. My dad, the man of the leaky eyes, stopped just before we were going to turn the corner to walk into the sanctuary and asked- you aren't a little nervous? No, I said, of course not. He remained in place and said, well maybe I'm getting a little nervous. And then I noticed the tears in his eyes and realized he just wasn't quite ready to walk me down the aisle. I leaned in to him, and at that moment the photographer popped his head around the corner to tell us we were missing our cue and snapped a quiet photo.

Also in the picture is the antique Bible I carried down the aisle. It was carried by my Grandmother in her 1955 wedding, my mother in her 1980 wedding, and my two other aunts in their weddings. Every one of those couples is still happily married and I hope JP and I can live up to their examples. I think we will.