I love anniversaries. I celebrate my move-a-versary, my house-a-versary, my dogs adopt-a-versaries… The celebrations needn’t be big, just a quiet (sometimes silly) but intentional marking of a moment. On one of Ollie’s adopt-a-versaries we made “Ollie Burgers”, crafting faces onto our buns with cuts of cheese and ketchup (it should go without saying that the dogs got burgers too). On one of my first move-a-versaries, I bought myself a pumpkin spice latte and walked around the Halifax Public Gardens, reflecting on my time in the city I’ve chosen as home.
Of course, I make —I mean, provide the opportunity to— my husband to celebrate both our wedding anniversary, AND our dating anniversary—which is today. I refuse to start the timer over and count from our wedding only. I want credit for time served (not in a jail sentence kind of way, I swear).
My dating history has been… Tumultuous. I have had relationships with a helicopter pilot, a recitation artist, a daycare worker, two drug dealers, and a future doctor, to name a few. No matter who it was and how wonderful they were, our connection frayed as the months or years wore on. It led me to believe my love came with an expiration date, like a carton of milk forgotten at the back of the fridge. I was incapable of the long haul. In the wise words of Taylor Swift: “It’s me, hi, I’m the problem, It’s me.”
my love came with an expiration date, like a carton of milk forgotten at the back of the fridge.
So as my time with Dan lengthens, and our connection only builds and grows stronger, I am unlearning those old narratives I believed about myself. I’m not incapable of lasting, I just wasn’t meant to last with those individuals. Subconsciously, I was holding out for my one and only.
Seven years ago, after a brief Bumble courtship, Dan and I met in person for the first time at the Little Free Library at Shubie Park to walk my dog, Lola. Then, we got weak tea and stale oatcakes at Tim Hortons. The date was nice, though not earth-shattering. I wasn’t instantly head over heels in love. But boy, what it bloomed into when I gave it a chance.
But boy, what it bloomed into when I gave it a chance.
It wasn’t until our third date, when he showed up with a box of Mary Brown’s taters that I knew there was something truly special here. We went hiking at Duncans Cove, then made out in his car like teenagers in front of my brother’s house where I was staying temporarily.
And Dan kept showing up and showing me how truly special our connection was and is. Three and a half years later, he proposed next to that same Little Free Library where we first met. A year after that, we had our wedding day ‘First Look’ there.
So tonight, we’ll walk the dogs at Shubie Park and share some mediocre baked goods from our neighborhood Timmie’s. The relationship is special, and it deserves observance, but we’ve got nothing to prove so it doesn’t need to be over the top.
The relationship is special, and it deserves observance, but we’ve got nothing to prove so it doesn’t need to be over the top.
Happy Anniversary my Sweetie Von Petie, my Dan Man, my one and only. I can’t wait to mark this and all the other moments, large and small, with you.
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