Today is the wedding anniversary of our son and his precious wife. Six years ago they committed to one another before God and a crowd of people who cherish them.

 

Anniversaries are one way to pay attention to the birth of a marriage. Commitment needs attention, and celebration to thrive. 

 

Lincoln and Washington get remembered every February around their birthdays, and I am willing to bet they no longer expect presents. Neither do their mothers who handled the actual labor.

 

My car has a sticker to tell me when I last changed the oil, reminding me to bring it in again a year later. Routine maintenance keeps the engine running. Our insurance agents calls every September to chat about renewing our policy. It protects our house and cars. The post office gives me a reminder each April to cough up money for a box. Being able to receive mail is handy for communication. Each spring a catalog arrives to entice us to buy seeds. Just turning the pages inspires me to get my hands dirty again. 

 

Yet the oomph that goes into keeping a relationship vibrant needs revisiting too. Renewal. Investment. Lubrication. Communication. Protection. 

 

Anniversaries don't get as much attention as, say, the Super Bowl, or the Oscars.  Yet a marriage has more significance than a football score, or a film that will be on Netflix for free next season. Plus four quarters or a chick flick only last a couple of hours, whereas a marriage has a trajectory into eternity.