Andrea and I eloped on April Fool’s Day, 1993.

If my elderly brain can do the math, that means it was 33 years ago. I had to look it up, but the 33rd wedding anniversary gift is amethyst.

One thing I haven’t talked about much is what a calming influence Andrea has been for me. We met in 1992, when I was a year out of college.

I took seven years to get my four year degree, which involved three different schools and a year off working in a co-op program. I moved a lot, and the rest of my life was pretty chaotic.

None of my friends expected our marriage to last. I get it, I would have bet against myself as well, but to those friends I would like to say “neener, neener”.

(grin)

It is hard for me to fathom that we’ve been together over three decades. I also spent 20 years working at basically the same job, we owned our last house for 25 years before moving, and I don’t expect to move again.

I embrace change, but when you balance that against personal stability it is so much more useful. It’s nice to put down roots and to know that, no matter what happens, the important things in your life will always be there.

Back in November we went to a wedding and they had an “anniversary dance”. I had never heard of this, but they asked all the married couples to get out on the dance floor, and then the DJ said “everyone who has been married a year or less, step away” and then he repeated it in increments: two years, three years, five years, ten years, etc.

When he got to thirty years there were only three couples left, and we were one of them. At 35 two couples left, leaving one couple as the winner.

I look forward to doing this again in the future, because I fully expect to be the last couple dancing one day. Andrea always makes me feel like a winner.