Friday, May 21, 2010

Contributing Our Verse

I am super-excited about this post. Next Thursday (May 27th) is our fifteenth wedding anniversary, but I can't wait until then to publish this. Fifteen years! How is that possible? On our five-year anniversary, we went to England. On our ten-year anniversary, I wanted to go back to England but surprise, we found out Elaine was arriving so we stayed home and bought a gazebo for our backyard because we'd just moved here. Who knew that they sell gazebos in February, not in May, so we had to buy a floor model and Darren had to assemble it without any directions. He got me to help him, which, you know, grumpy man without a plan + nauseated pregnant lady = couple who sounds like they've been married for 10 years.

And now...15. What to do for fifteen? It may surprise you to learn that I wanted to go to England, but that's not really feasible right at this juncture of our lives. And we don't need a gazebo or a new baby, so what to do, what to do?

I came up with the inspired idea of having the uh-mazing Julie Kittredge take pictures of us as a family at the same park where Darren and I had our wedding pictures taken. (After you read this blog post, if you want to see more pictures and Julie's write-up on the shoot, you can go here.)

I tried to think of what to write about fifteen years of life lived together...all the highs and lows and everything in between. So many thoughts. So much has happened. But I also kept thinking about a poem I have loved for years and years from Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass, and that seems to sum up best what I really want to say:

Oh Me! Oh Life!

Oh me! O life! of the questions of these recurring,
Of the endless trains of the faithless,
of cities fill’d with the foolish,
Of myself forever reproaching myself,
(for who more foolish than I, and who more faithless?)
Of eyes that vainly crave the light,
of the objects mean,
of the struggle ever renew’d
Of the poor results of all,
of the plodding and sordid crowds I see around me,
Of the empty and useless years of the rest,
with the rest me intertwined,
The question, O me! so sad, recurring–
What good amid these,
O me, O life?

Answer:

That you are here–that life exists and identity,
That the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse.


So, without further ado, join me on a little journey that has spanned 15 years...



Then...

Now...

Can I go on the record here and say that I asked the florist for a "small bouquet of lilacs"? I wonder what he would have given me had I asked for a large one.



When the girls first saw our wedding pictures, they pointed at Darren and said, "Who's that man with you, Mama?" Give poor Daddy a break. It's 3 against 1 at our house. It could make anyone lose all their hair.




In a gazebo...

...and in the same one fifteen years later...

Couple...

Family...

Twenties...

Forties!...


By the fountain...


Happy couple...

Happy couple...

Good...

Better...

So...happy fifteenth anniversary to my dear husband; I am so glad we're in this play together. And to my two best girls in the world--you make it worth getting up in the morning, albeit maybe not so early sometimes.


We are here.

We are here.

9 comments:

Alysa said...

Crying. Beautiful post, Al. Great idea to go back to good ole' Wheaton. I remember your special day very, VERY well. And that "little" bouquet. Oh the laughs we had ... they did smell scrumptious though, didn't they? And the Swan place for your reception - amazing. And the place on North Avenue for the rehearsal dinner - it's gone now I think. And I lost it when i saw the picture of your two hands and you say, "Good" and then the four hands and you say, "Better." Beautifully, put. Your Darren is one great man ... your love for each other, through the years, has been beautiful to watch. You are a good team ... in a great play!

Katie said...

Love it, Alice! Happy Anniversary. Your pictures were amazing - what a great way to commemorate. Blessings on you all!

Julie K. said...

I LOVE it!!! Thanks for inviting me to participate 'behind the scenes' of your play!! xo

Melanie said...

Okay, I've got to wipe these tears away so I can see what I'm typing...this was such a beautiful post. I love seeing all the wedding pictures intertwined with these amazing new family pics! It looks like you had a wonderful day - this was Mother's Day weekend, right? Love it - love it all. I love that you and the girls wore the veil - they must have loved that and I knew Luce looked a lot like you but wow - somehow in that shot it really shines through even more!

Cindy said...

Alice,

What beautiful photos and what a beautiful family.

Happy 15th Anniversary.

Cindy

The Farmer's Wife said...

The bouquet KILLED me!!! Mercy! I keep going back to that picture, admiring the muscles it must've taken to tote that up to the altar and back...

On a more serious note, I think this is one of the most beautiful posts I've ever read. Period. The pictures are amazing.

And you are one of the rare women that looks more beautiful at 40 than 20. Can't wait to see you at 60!

And they lived happily ever after...

Happy Anniversary!

Juliet said...

Congratulations on fifteen years of marriage! Great idea to have those photos taken.

Enjoy the 27th!!!

shannon said...

Oh, how precious! I don't know why, but the pictures of the hands--first two, then four, made me cry the most.

Kacie said...

that is one huge "small" bouquet!

I love the family pictures.... so beautiful