The 2nd of February is
a very special day. It marks our 30th
wedding anniversary. 30 years since we
celebrated our marriage at St Mary’s Church in Mosgiel, 2 - 2 - 1985, on a cool
breezy summer day. I thought it might be
quite exciting to record my memories from the day and reflect on the
journey.
My
first memory is of waking very early and racing into Dunedin with Claire, my
best friend, and Sue my little sister.
Olive did all our hair, then we headed back out to my childhood home in
Allanton for Maree to do our makeup. I
remember the hum of activity in and around the house with relatives arriving
from everywhere and Mum having oh so many last minute chores, picking up the
flowers, picking up the wedding cake, collecting people from the airport and
generally overseeing the hub-bub. I
remember Stuart arriving and the wonderful photos with Mum and Dad out in the
garden then oh so soon it was time to get in the cars and head to the
church. I remember arriving at the
church surprised to see a wedding group just coming out of the church, so time
for a quick drive around. I remember
with great sadness that Mum wasn’t with us in the car. Mum, who had been so busy and so much a part
of all the organising and the day was left to travel over to Mosgiel ferrying
relatives. Mums really do have a
challenging role sometimes. I remember
getting out of the car and walking up the aisle, and being completely
overwhelmed with a feeling of awe – that everyone was there to celebrate our
day. I remember my first glimpse of
Grant and wondered if he felt as nervous as I did. I remember holding Grant’s hand and trying to
sing, but not being able to find the words.
I remember our vows and the MAGIC of the feeling of commitment. I oh so
clearly remember feeling like it was so incredibly grown up. The exchange of rings felt so special.
Signing the register gave us a chance to turn and see all our friends and
family again, what an overwhelming feeling.
Then, as if in a blur, we were walking down the aisle as husband and
wife. At the door of the church we were
greeted by a nasty wind and not many photos could be taken there or at the
gardens as planned. We were very
fortunate to be able to go to Aunty Margaret and Uncle Frank’s and have our
photos taken inside. The rest of the night disappeared in a blur of family,
friends, food, dancing, drinking, celebrating.
What a truly MAGICAL day.
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days later, we are celebrating our 30th anniversary. How lucky, how special, how MAGIC, how
privileged I feel. The road has not
always been perfectly smooth, there have been challenges aplenty, but we have
faced them together and are stronger because of them. We have celebrated the MAGIC of two wonderful
children, Katie and Jason and have walked alongside them as they have grown
into the amazing adults they are. We
have welcomed their partners Sean and Gabi into our lives and feel incredibly
privileged to spend time with our lovely family. We lost Dad 18 years ago and
miss him greatly. We are very privileged
to still have Mum as a HUGE part of our lives.
This
week we head to Mooloolaba for a relaxing break at the beach. I am really looking forward to spending time
with Grant away from the hustle and bustle of daily life. What fun, what adventures, and what an
awesome 30 years it has been. Thank you
Grant for your tolerance, your patience, your commitment and
understanding. Thank you for the
journey! It is an absolute pleasure and privilege to be travelling through life
with you!
Congratulations to you both. Enjoy Mooloolaba (what a great word)...you deserve the break.
ReplyDeleteThanks Phillipa! Really looking forward to it! Would love to catch up soon!
DeleteAK