Happy Anniversary!

It's interesting to me that our momentous occasions sometimes lump themselves together.  I didn't think much about this until I met Millie.  She was a sweet old lady whom we took to church for years.  Every March, she begin her grumbling... "It's almost April.  April is a terrible month.  My husband's birthday is in April.  He would have been so old this year.  April is also the month he died so many years ago.  Oh, and my mom and dad died in April so many more years before my husband died."  Every year.  To make it worse, her husband died on my birthday.  We had this conversation every Sunday and Wednesday on the way to and from church.  My usual reply was something about being thankful for the memories we have.  It usually did nothing to get her out of her funk and I'd just let her get it out of her system.

Our family has seasons of special days as well.  For example, our oldest daughter was born the day before my husband's birthday and our younger girls celebrate birthdays two weeks apart.  We find it funny that my mom and her siblings all married people born in November.  Sometimes it can be overwhelming to have so many celebrations back-to-back, but generally I enjoy these seasons. 

One of my favorite days is June 30th.  My grandparents wed on June 30, 1953.  Of course I don't have any memories of that date, but the legacy that began that day impacts me in a big way.  They stuck together through some very tough times to raise their children and help raise me.  Nothing thrilled me more than to be able to call them on June 30, 1999 to tell them "happy anniversary" and share some big news with them - I had just returned from the doctor where I found out that I was pregnant with our first child!  This made the day doubly special.  Four years later, our family had a huge celebration to celebrate my grandparent's 50th anniversary.  It was especially special to me because it reminded me of my childhood when our whole family would gather for holidays.  We hadn't done that in years because of busy schedules and cross-country moves.  Even though I was super-pregnant and on bedrest, I cheated and played in the yard with the kids, knowing that the memories would last a lifetime.

Out of nowhere, June 30th struck again two years ago.  I was thankful for the surprise because it had become a sad day since my grandma passed away the previous year (in June, no less).  On June 30th, 2011, we received an email that would turn our family upside down.  It was from a friend who knew of a boy in an orphanage who needed a home quickly.  This friend felt that our family would be a good fit, so he was asking us to consider adoption.  Then came the pictures.  As if I could say no to that smile!  Six months later, we celebrated again with our son, thinking back to June 30th when he entered our hearts.

It reminds me of Paul Baloche's lyrics from "Rise Up and Praise Him" that say

Everyone in the valley
Come and lift your voice
All those on the mountaintop be glad

Whether we are in a season of celebration or a quiet time, we are to praise God.  I am thankful that He gives us seasons for big celebrations and embrace them with open arms, especially anniversaries!