This past weekend my spouse and I celebrated our 30th anniversary, counting from the time we first committed to love each other forever. It was a wonderful celebration with a short service that could be considered a renewal of our vows.
There were some who were invited and could not attend. There were many we wanted to invite but were limited by the resources we had. It is especially for you that I share here the poem that I read.
To My Love
I loved you, my friend
From the beginning
When our lives were separate
And we just talked
I admired you
Sensed your compassion
And integrity
Wanted to know you better
We shared a home
Shared laughter and tears
Never had I cared
So much
No one ever mattered
Like you did
You put your hand in mine
And touched my soul
Our sharing and caring
Became a lover’s love
Something so unexpected
And so wonderful
We couldn’t deny our love
It just didn’t fit
In the closet of bad things
Of harmful and hurtful things
So we made a special closet
To hide our love
We were lovers in the closet
And friends outside
The closet was stuffy
Lonely and shameful
We could hardly breathe
Leaving was scary
When we came up for air
Soaking in the sunshine
Rooted in love
We grew stronger
We lost some things
When we left the closet
But now we are richer
Than ever before
Twenty-three years ago
We stood proud and tall
Shared our vows
Rejoiced in our love
Love, a thing of the soul
Transcends time and space
Transforms words and actions
Informs and inspires us
Today we celebrate
And re-affirm
The love we’ve known
More than thirty years
My friend, my lover
Through the end
We’ll talk, we’ll laugh, we’ll cry
Connected, you and I