Remembrance Day*

Well, my husband is hating himself (temporarily) because today he became a cliche. He hates when that happens. Let me explain:

Today was our anniversary. And you guessed it: he forgot! He became the typical cliched husband who forgot his anniversary. Oh, how the mighty do sometimes fall. BUT! it wasn't quite the typical I-hung-around-the-house-all-day-and-looked-at-your-mug-and-never-once-thought-about-the-fact-that-it-was-our-anniversary kind of forgetting. He was in Atlanta all week on business, attending a conference, and also he has tons of relatives there. So by day he was conferencing and by night he was merrily out whooping it up with kin (wonderful folk, they). So there was plenty in the way to block any thought process that might have formed concerning said anniversary. (an aside: this anniversary was kind of unique in that it was the 11th one on the 11th day of the 11th month).

Now, I realized he was going to be gone on our anniversary before he even left, and so I had a dilemma: I could say something and make him feel really bad and maybe cause him to change his flight (at considerable cost). Or I could've mentioned it at some point while he was already gone, but again---he'd feel really bad and it would have dimmed some of the pleasure of his time away. And today he would have been feeling badly all day that he wasn't here and he would've mistakenly been thinking that he'd made me really sad. So I said nothing. But it wasn't all selfless: I figured I'd make some really good wife points! Also, I knew the look on his face when I mentioned it would be priceless----and that sounds really mean and heartless, but I didn't do it out of malice! Honestly! If I knew that I would've been upset about him not being here on our anniversary, I would've brought it up when I first realized. But I'm not one to really get all gooey and oozy about things (much to my husband's disappointment many times). I didn't have to celebrate our anniversary on its actual day, though that would've been nice. I didn't feel cheated or forgotten or angry. None of those things entered my mind, so I felt like it was okay to have a little fun with it.

And I did. I had a little gift and card on the seat when I picked him up from the airport. And the look on his face was priceless, so I wasn't disappointed in that regard. Maybe I'll get some mileage out of it---but only in a playful sort of way!---and so all has not been lost. And because my husband is normally very sweet and very kind and very romantic and very sentimental, I can be sure that it will never happen again.

So, happy anniversary to me, and I'm a very lucky girl to be married to such a wonderful man. Even if he forgot this one eensy weensy thing.

tee hee.

*In Canada and Australia (and probably other places?), November 11 is called Remembrance Day. I didn't realize that fact until after we were married, and I always thought that title was very appropriate. For its reason and for mine.