Intentional Living

Creating Intentional Anniversaries

My husband and I get to celebrate our tenth wedding anniversary this year. It seems like just yesterday and yet, forever–in a good way. After ten years, raising three teenagers and launching them into adulthood, running a business, and pursuing higher education, it has been very easy for us to get sidelined into sleepwalking through life. At least a couple of times a year, I remind us that we “miss” each other, that we need to connect on a deeper level. One of those times is for our anniversary. I’ve put together a short reminder list for intentional anniversaries. It’s pretty simple.

Prepare. Intention requires preparation. Make sure you have a conversation about what you want to do for your anniversary. If you have a tradition, make sure that you don’t walk through it. Change it up just enough that you experience it new. Go to the same B&B but choose a different room. Go to the same restaurant, but take a scenic drive beforehand. Order something different. End the evening with dancing under the moonlight to your car radio. Spice it up!

Remove distractions. If that means you have to get out of town, do it if you can. Better yet, leave your phones behind or at least leave them in the vehicle when you go out for dinner. Enough said!

Talk. Please don’t talk about the nuts and bolts of life–paying bills, retirement, fix-it projects at home, etc. Talk about your dreams. Talk about what the other person did recently that made you feel loved. Talk about the best memories you have. Talk about anything other than the mundane. You get to do that everyday!

Anniversaries aren’t just about remembering the day you get married. They are about celebrating the thousands of little moments in between now and when you fell in love all over again. The moments when you saw your spouse at their worst and loved them even more because of their weakness and vulnerability. The moments when your spouse rose above circumstances and helped another in need. The moments they inspired you to be a better version of you. 

Anniversaries are about celebrating the union of brokenness that creates something more beautiful, more profound, more enduring than your aloneness. The union of marriage is a blessing bestowed on us by God. It should be celebrated each and every day, but at least once a year, go big and give thanks to God for your spouse.

What are your favorite ways to celebrate your anniversaries? We would love to hear from you. Please let us know in the comments.

Contributed by Liz

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