“The best thing to hold onto in life is each other.”
—Audrey Hepburn
“Some people come into our lives, leave footprints on our hearts, and we are never the same.”
—Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Cecile and I are celebrating our 45th wedding anniversary this 25th day of March 2022. Breaking it down we have been in love for 16,435 Days; have spent 394,461 Hours together, not counting three additional years of living together in my beloved’s home town of Chicago. We moved to San Jose, California inn 1975, and together open my Podiatric Medicine & Foot Surgery Practice. Though she was an elementary school teacher by training she became my medical assistant and office manager. Our patients loved her sincere, welcoming presence and smile.
We decided to get married in 1977. We were blessed with having two wonderful children (Jason and Michelle) and further blessed with two adorable grandchildren (Lyla and Emmy) and a wonderful loving friendship with our son-in-law Kyle and his wonderful family. During this time we had countless happy memories and magnificent travel experiences together as well as with our children and grandchildren.
A wedding anniversary reminds Cecile and I about one of the most important days of our adult lives. It is an opportunity for us to reflect on our relationship, and come together to celebrate. We are well beyond doing something that outdoes the preceding anniversaries in our younger days. Our celebrations are much more carefree. Our anniversary serves as a heartwarming reminder of the day we met and doing something special to affirm our commitment to one another and congratulate ourselves for getting through the challenges that life has placed in our path. Marriage is not all rainbows and unicorns. It is full of ups and downs. As unwelcome as the downs can be they have given us the ability, wisdom, and strength to weather the storms. All of our experiences good or bad are part of our personal storyline and getting through the difficult times has only deepened our connection.
Dearest Cecile,
Our Wedding Anniversary is a time to look back,
Remembering our first meeting, first date, first dance, first embrace, first kiss.
To think of all the things we’ve done and the places we’ve been.
The joy, the tears, the doubts, the fears
The wondrous things we’ve seen together, the two of us as one.
We have learned that love is a living thing and true love never dies.
May each of us continue to see that love in one another's eyes,
So as we celebrate today, recalling milestones from our past,
With the full understanding that in the years to come
Our love will always last.
Happy Anniversary,
sealed with a kiss,
Dennis
