A long-overdue tribute

There are so many things I could write about for today's blog post - MakerEdTO, the final days of school, Maker Festival Toronto - but some of these are just too recent and fresh in my head, so I need time to reflect and process my thoughts carefully. I decided to write about something that's been percolating for over twenty years and deserves my focus.

My husband and I celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary on July 5.

This celebration coincided with all the chaos and intense time demands of being on two organizing committees with events occurring the same week. People suggested we celebrate on a later date, but for us, commemorating it on July 5 together was important. We wanted to do something memorable, so we booked reservations at 360, the restaurant at the top of the CN Tower, and overnighted at the Soho Metropolitan Hotel nearby. It was a wonderful meal, a beautiful view, and the restaurant staff surprised us with an anniversary dessert that actually checked off something on my bucket list!

(When I was a little girl, I thought that only rich people ate chocolate mousse. I also thought that going to Hawaii was also only for the wealthy - which is why my husband has said that for our 25th anniversary, we are going to go to Hawaii, despite his usual lack of enthusiasm for extensive travel.)

Let me tell you just a few things about my husband. I don't want to overshare. He's a private person and has also had some unpleasant online experiences. Those who know me can tell I'm quite extroverted and gregarious. My husband is extremely tolerant of me, my quirks, and all the crazy plans, events, and trips that I get myself into. To be frank, I would not be able to do 90% of the things I commit to without his love and support. James is my rock. He is exemplary of the type of love described in the famous scripture from the Christian Bible.

 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

He does more than his fair share, which makes it possible for me to do things like presentations across the country, or volunteer as the editor-in-chief for a magazine for twelve years.  If the house is clean, it's because of him. He is the stay-at-home parent, making sure that our children had someone on-call and devoted to their well-being all during their elementary years and beyond. We have two wonderful, thoughtful, responsible, caring teenagers and much of the credit goes to James. These accomplishments happen without fanfare and without recognition. I want to acknowledge it and to show that I need him quite desperately (and not just because I'm hopeless in the kitchen for anything except breakfast or baking).

Happy anniversary, my beloved!