anniversary

Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. – Psalm 90:12 (NIV)

Anniversary first brings to mind our wedding anniversary.  Especially today since our 24^thonly three weeks away.  I haven’t been thinking much about this anniversary but rather looking forward to next year.  We’ve already begun the initial planning for a trip.

But I soon moved past that to think about what anniversaries are, the annual marking of an event. Every day is an anniversary of something.  What did I do a year ago today?  I decided to look.

I save my calendars. The last five years are easy since they are on my computer.  It took a little more time to find the old ones and flip to August.  Here is what I found.  My life, on August 3, annotated:

2017 – Schmeiser swim meet

My nieces are swimmers. Several of their meets are only a few miles from our house.  These are a bonus for everyone because they don’t have to stay in a hotel and we get them here for a visit.

2016 – Dave in Raleigh; operations meeting

In the last few years, Dave hasn’t travelled as much for work so it is a rarity to see it on the calendar now.  I had an operations meeting for church.  I doubt our treasurer was happy we were meeting three days after month-end.

2015 – Pivotal Directions camp; Withness Community

Pivotal Directions is a leadership camp that Youngest attended for a few years.  Three years ago I was pastoring a new worshipping community.  I miss it but just the day before was the beginning of my time at Heritage – a new worshipping community in its own way.

2014 – Grandma & Grandpa camp; premarital counseling; Caravan debrief

This is the first summer since 2002 that the boys haven’t gone to Grandma and Grandpa camp.  There was only an overlap of two weeks this summer when Eldest and Youngest were both home and out of school at the same time. One of these weeks Eldest’s girlfriend was here visiting us.

I wasn’t ordained on August 3, 2014; however, I was doing premarital counseling for a wedding that was scheduled for a week after my ordination in October.  I was honored to be a part of this wedding for two very special people.

We must have picked the boys up from Grandma and Grandpa camp on this day, since Eldest had the debrief for his mission trip.  The two years he went out to Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota were significant to him.

2013 –

A day with nothing scheduled?  Joy!

2012 – dentist

The anniversary of the ordinary.  I am thankful for having health insurance (and being able to afford the out-of-pocket costs).

2011 – doctor; missionary neighbor; Bible study

What an eclectic day! Our neighbor’s daughter served with Campus Crusade for Christ.  This meeting was to update us on her work and our support.

This Bible study group began as a MOPS leadership team in around 2004 or 2005.  We met for seven years.  The boys would often tell me that they didn’t believe we were studying the Bible because there was so much laughing.

2010 – Dave Palatine; swim lessons; o-line clinic

A little bit of travel, a little bit of summer, and a little bit of football.

2009 – Dave Raleigh; swim lessons

Little did I realize in 2009 that 2010 would be the one year anniversary of Dave’s travel and swim lessons. But that’s life.  We never know ahead of time when today will become the basis for an anniversary.

2008 – 4^thgrade Bible study

Our church didn’t have summer programming for kids, so I held a semi-monthly Bible study at my house for 4^thgraders.  We did a short lesson, had snacks and played yard games.  It was joy to see them together.  We had a sort of anniversary of this on Sundays from 2014-2017. Eldest’s discipleship group met at our house of four years.  At least one of these boys had been with us in 2008.

2007 – Zoo camp

Are there two more fun words to put together?

2006 – Chess club; Dave’s family dinner

Eldest was 7 when he did a summer chess club.  He still plays chess with his uncle (when they aren’t playing Diplomacy).  Dave’s family all lives close together.  It’s a treat to have them here at our house.

2005 – Dave Chicago

These were the years that Dave travelled quite a bit – often a few nights a week.  Movie and pizza night (or cereal for supper) were big with me and the boys.

2004 – late work day

I was still working at Deloitte in 2004.  I’m surprised this was on the calendar because I remember the summer of 2004.  I was probably late most nights. Sarbanes-Oxley was in effect for that year-end.  I remember being on the phone with clients at Eldest’s t-ball game.

2003 – Antigo (day after triathlon)

Visiting my parents and doing the Wausau triathlon.  I think I’ve done this one as a team with my family or on my own 4-5 times.

2002 – San Francisco

As a thank you to our parents who put us through college, we took each of them on a trip in 2002.  We went to Disney with my parents and San Francisco with Dave’s parents, which included staying at the Lodge and Pebble Beach and round of golf for Dave and his Dad.  Remembering this trip is especially bittersweet as Dave’s Dad passed away this year.  Eldest was at G&G camp.

2001 – Haircut

This reminds me…

2000 – last day at Deloitte

In 2000, we moved from Minneapolis to Milwaukee.  This was my last day at Deloitte (my first last day because I returned in 2001). This last day led to the next day when we drove to Milwaukee and bought a house.  Eldest and I lived with my in-laws for a month (my new job started in mid-August) while Dave was in Minneapolis finishing up work and selling our house.  My mother-in-law packed me a lunch for work each day.

I would have to dig in the basement to find anything earlier than 2000, but they’re there.

There are some things we know will be an anniversary we remember and celebrate: births, weddings, graduations, ordinations, deaths.  But is the ordinary events of life that make up most of our days.  Each day there is the potential for something that may be the first or the last in our lives.  Today might be a day that becomes are marker in our life of “before” and “after.”

Nothing truly momentous has happened to me on August 3.  But I celebrate the anniversary of all the August 3’s that have contributed to the one I’m living today.  May we value the ordinary and celebrate it, for each day is the anniversary of something that has made us who we are.

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This took longer than five minutes (although I still followed the rules and it was still a free-write without editing.  Read more about Five Minute Friday and today’s posts here.

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