Why care about anniversaries?

I’ll never forget the day that Patricio and I came home after closing on our first house. We were exhilarated and terrified --- shocked by our own adulting. Granted we already had a two-year-old then, but somehow owning a house felt like the biggest responsibility ever. We came back to our rental that night, casually checked the mail and found a card from my grandparents.

Stumped, I opened it to discover that it was our sixth wedding anniversary. A fact that he and I had both forgotten. Whooops!  Luckily we have two anniversaries a year, so we had an opportunity to make up for it.

Why do we care so much about anniversaries? Is it just another commercialized “holiday” designed to have us buy Hallmark cards and teddy bears?

I personally think anniversaries are super important and here are 4 reasons why:

Spooning Couple Art Print 

Because life is hard.

Let’s be honest, life is complicated. Sometimes it’s unexpected. Sometimes it’s chaotic. Sometimes we get so sucked into our routines and run out the door in the morning forgetting a good-bye kiss. Sometimes we live in the same home and forget to see each other. It’s all normal.

Life is the reason I love anniversaries. It’s a time to stop, take a breath, look at the person you are spending life with, and be grateful for their presence and partnership.
 

Heart Tree Anniversary Ketubah

Because we do so much for each other. 

And we don’t always remember to say thank you. Anniversaries are an opportunity to remind your partner that they are important to you, to show your spouse that you appreciate them.

Proud Love Anniversary Ketubah

Because they’re fun!

Seriously, when you were a little kid, if somebody told you that when you grew up you were going to get an extra day to celebrate – kind of like another birthday, wouldn’t you have jumped for joy? So go ahead, jump for joy!

Soul Tree Anniversary Ketubah

Because your wedding day will always be magical.

And isn’t it fun to re-live it? Life will change, your relationship will evolve, your location may be different, your family might look different than it did on that day, but your love for each other is only bigger, more intimate and more colored by all the adventures you have had together.

Anniversaries are an opportunity to remind your partner that they are important to you.  

Custom Anniversary Portrait

When we were getting married, our rabbi suggested that we should drink wine from our wedding wine glasses once a week, alone, as a way to reconnect. While we may not do that every week (let’s be honest, with two kids, who really knows what day of the week it is?!), anniversaries are sacred.

Patricio and I got married “twice” – we had a civil wedding in the United States and a Jewish wedding in Israel. That means that in our eleven years of marriage, we have had 22 anniversaries! Could we be any luckier? 

So, don’t forget to tell your beloved that you love them more each day than the day before and that you appreciate them as much after 22 anniversaries as the day you said “I do.”  

And if words fail, say it with art. 

Also, I drew the Custom Anniversary Portrait above based on an amazing wedding photo by the immensely talented Michelle Feileacan. If you ever find yourself in Sonoma and can book a photoshoot with her, DO IT! Also, she makes gorgeous jewelry. I know, it's unfair how talented she is.