She smiled and exclaimed: "Mama. You are a strong. beautiful. Woman."
(Me: Did Colin put her up to this? Well, not a bad way to start 2013 although I wondered if there were any other 4 year olds out there who are as ??? as our Cora?)
Then I remembered that it is also our 8 year wedding anniversary and that Colin had gone to work at 5am (so he could have the afternoon/evening off and celebrate together) and I was on day #3 of being stuck in bed having a fever. The last thing I was feeling was strong or beautiful, although I did feel grateful for being sandwiched between two beautiful kids and having a hard-working husband with plenty of work.
Cora: "Mama. Today is your anniversary with Dada, isn't it? Because Patsy said yesterday that tomorrow is your anniversary so today is tomorrow, right? and Tomorrow is Today!!! (I will have to write a blog later called The Tao of Cora.) So that means you get to be a Bride again and wear your pretty white dress!! And put on lots and lots of makeup!!!" While bounding on the bed to punctuate her enthusiasm.
I explained to her that Mama was not going to wear a wedding dress but I would be happy to dress her as a bride in honor of the occasion. Which I did and she immediately proceeded to go have in imaginary wedding in her room with her husband, Jonathan II as the first one got fired for "telling her what to do all the time" (Cora and her future husband will definitely be in need of some pre-marital counseling someday).
So the three of us headed downstairs, I made myself some coffee followed by a performance by Cora a.k.a. Ballerina Clara to one of my all time favorite move soundtracks "When Harry Met Sally".
My favorite song from the album is "Our Love is Here to Stay" and somehow it always brings tears to my eyes.
It's very clear, our love is here to stay
Not for a year but ever and a day
The radio and the telephone and the movies that we know
May just be passing fancies and in time may go
But oh, my dear, our love is here to stay
Together we're going a long, long way
In time the Rockies may crumble, Gibraltar may tumble
They're only made of clay
But our love is here to stay
Together we're going a long, long way
In time the Rockies may crumble, Gibraltar may tumble
They're only made of clay
Oh, but our love is here
Our love is here
But our love is here to stay
To stay
***
What a year it has been.
Full of blessings, challenges, surprises, new friends, reconnecting with old ones.
The highlights? Trip to Saint Maarten with Caroline and family, visiting college friends in D.C., Sea World, Asheville and Hammock Beach with Mom and Dad, dinners, parties and playdates with friends, visits from our family in Indy and Portland and getting to know our new home and neighborhood.
The challenges? Nothing serious. We have our health, our family and a home we love. And few regrets.
***
Last night we kicked off our anniversary by me surprising Colin with a takeout dinner of pork, black eyed peas, collards, texas toast and fried green tomatoes (a homage to the plated dinner served at our wedding- pork tenderloin, black-eyed pea relish, collards, jalepeno chive cheddar biscuits and fried green tomatoes). I was planning on recreating the dinner myself but barely got out of bed all day. Colin brought the dinner up on trays and we ate it in our bed, fending off our wayward dog with the sounds of Allen wailing in the background.
Yet somehow it had never been better and I knew that that moment was as good as it gets.
Our plans tonight? If I am better, we are planning on seeing Lincoln and having champagne and a quiet dinner at the Wine Cellar. Followed by Carrot Cake of course.
***
It goes back to the Our Love is Here to Stay Song. One of my many flaws is to get caught up in things that simply do not matter at the end of the day and make me scowl and snap and brood. The things? well my house is the last thing from a page from House Beautiful, there are bad hair days, tantrums, lost elections, crumbs everywhere, disorganized closets, those extra pounds, our UNlandscaped yard, ect. ect. ect.
None of it matters at the end of the day.
Oh, but our love is here
Our love is here
But our love is here to stay
To stay
Colin, thank you for sharing your life with me. It is a real honor.
Happy New Year!!
