“Sorry your day was crummy” was a sweet message I got last night after returning from the hospital with Mom.

It’s wasn’t the best day

However it wasn’t because it was our anniversary. It was crummy because Mom felt bad and we had to sit in the ER for a few hours.

Our anniversary is the date of our wedding and while I love a nice dinner, our anniversary isn’t what I celebrate.

I celebrate us.

Our marriage

The people we are and who we are together

It’s about the years we have spent together making it work because there were times when I wasn’t sure.

I celebrate two great kids who are now adults building their own lives and families of their own. Parenting is hard and we did it together. We did it while Steve worked 24 hour shifts and many side jobs for the first 25 years of our marriage. We did it by sacrificing snd scraping by for many years.

It’s about times of sickness and times of pain. It’s about losing a Mom and a Dad to cancer. It’s about the extended family who sticks together and figures it out. “It” can mean so many things and losing parents is so hard. I celebrate that siblings can bond together and when things are tough, can solidify the family and love each other.

It’s about financial struggles and disagreements. It’s about making so many stupid money mistakes and having to dig out. It’s about working hard and finally feeling the freedom of debt free. It’s worth it……I promise.

It’s about teamwork and the year we spent every night and every weekend making this house a home.

It’s about the projects we do together. It’s the ideas that swirl in my head and how he can turn my ideas into realities. And sometimes I’m told “no Charma, that can’t happen” and while I don’t like it…….I know he’s right.

It’s not about the fancy dinners or big vacations. It’s not about getting my way or succumbing to his.

It’s about a partnership

It’s about sacrifice

It’s about holding my hair when I’m throwing up or finding the NyQuil when he’s up all night with a nasty cough.

It’s real life

And sometimes it’s cereal and chicken noodle soup at 8pm while standing in the kitchen after a really long day.

It’s about 36 years of marriage and hoping for 36 more.