Happy Anniversary!

Most couples dutifully celebrate their wedding anniversaries yearly.

Comic bits about men forgetting the important date always make us laugh…and cringe.

Subconsciously, we worry about the health of such marriages. Many of us believe pausing to mark the date a marriage began, strengthens the relationship.

Recently, I made a big deal of touting my tenth year as a published author. Soon, I’ll remark about fifteen years in the business, hoping I’ll have fifteen novels to show for that passage of time. Anniversaries remind us what we’ve accomplished, but they also give us a good kick in the pants to set new deadlines.

Last week, my golf club celebrated its twentieth year of existence. Initially, when I got a few raised eyebrows about the idea, I countered with: ‘We’re down to only three members who made it through 20 years. Do you want to have a party after we’re dead?” In this male-dominated sport which is an ideal activity for women of all ages, we are proud of our efforts to be a strong presence at Cypress Ridge Golf Club. We’ve established our group as a non-profit so we can fundraise. We live by a motto, constitution, and by-laws, keeping our organization steady and viable. As a result, we’ve maintained sixty members on our roster for most of our twenty years.

But here’s the key factor in anniversary celebrations, something I alluded to when I mentioned wedding anniversaries. There’s supreme value in stopping forward movement for a time; to evaluate and appreciate the past as well as rekindle desire for a better future. I was so moved by how grateful past members were that we invited them to our anniversary golf/party. They loved the kudos they got for their hard work, and they enjoyed the slide show of pictures, 2003-2023. I made a point of writing to former presidents of the club, telling them about our event, and thanking each for their contributions to our group. The feel-good domino effect was extraordinary.

So I say, honor anniversaries often, and celebrate them to the hilt!