BRAVO!

On our 10th wedding anniversary Renee and I received a card. On the cover, splashed across a picture of a bottle of champagne, glasses and multicolor confetti was one word,  “Bravo!” Inside it said, “When you married you meant it!” At dinner that evening we raised a glass of wine, looked into each other's eyes, said triumphantly, “Bravo!” and toasted our relationship. When we married we meant it.

That 10th anniversary night was 37 years ago.

Ever since, everywhere, on every occasion that we’ve enjoyed a glass of bubbly or wine, we’ve looked into each other's eyes and said it again . . . “Bravo!”  

Like virtually all couples marrying for the first time, we “meant it” before we really knew what marriage meant. . . before we knew that it is the single most significant decision any of us ever makes in life. . . before we knew the power and promise of a truly loving personal relationship. . . before we knew the many ways our commitment would unwaveringly challenge us to be about our own growing.

Speaking these bravos--no matter how we felt about each other at the moment (Read: sometimes with great gusto and sometimes, shall we say, a bit less enthusiastically)--has taught us a lasting wisdom about the ins and outs, the ups and downs, the work-arounds and work-throughs of a healthy relationship. 

So on this night, our 47th anniversary--and for the gazillionth time--we'll raise a glass, look into each other's eyes--into eyes that set our hearts to flight--a flight that’s never landed, into eyes that now know us and love us anyway, into eyes that know at least what we can know having come thus far. . . and we’ll say “Bravo!” 

And we’ll mean it all over again.

TODAY.

LET'S GIVE EACH OTHER AND OURSELVES A GIFT.

LET'S TAKE TIME TO THINK ABOUT HOW WE LOVE.