Anniversary

March 18, 2009

"Our Wedding Day"

March 18, 1978

Ernie and I were married thirty-one years ago. I was 24, he was 31.

If he were alive, we would have been married thirty-one years.

I really appreciate how God gave us a very special gift for the last year of our life together. For our thirtieth, and last, year together, God gave us a memorable and beautiful time in Chiang Mai, Thailand. I will truly be forever grateful to my heavenly Father for this.




On this post, I want to remember the last wedding anniversary that Ernie and I had together.

How did we spend our 30th wedding anniversary?

I woke up very early to write an anniversary letter for my husband. Somehow, it was important to me that I write him that letter that very morning. Praying for the right words to come, I recall that the words just flowed, and that after re-reading what I had written, I knew that the letter contained nearly everything I needed to tell him. There was nothing more I could think of adding to it.

The wi-fi signal at the flat was low, so I brought my laptop outside our front door where it was nearer the access point. It took forever to upload the photos because I didn't know anything about resizing photos then. But anyway, after typing the letter, and uploading the pictures, I was able to successfully publish it on my blog.

Thanking God for the inspiration, my heart was soaring. It was a little past 6 a.m., still quite a bit dark in Chiang Mai, for the sun had just risen. I went back inside the flat and placed my laptop on the dining table. I set the table for breakfast, remembering to make it special. There was fruit, and yoghurt, put special Columbian coffee in our coffee press, and then I went to the kitchen to cook pancakes.

Ernie loved pancakes.

Ernie was already awake, so I hugged him and told him that I had a special 30th wedding anniversary present for him. He was excited as he asked me, "What is it?"

I told him that I was preparing his favorite breakfast, and that he was to read a letter I had written while I cooked it.

So he sat down, and I asked him to read my blog post for the day (the laptop was already on the table, right beside his breakfast plate). I poured some freshly brewed coffee in his mug, so he could sip coffee while reading the letter.

Then I went back to the kitchen to do the pancakes.

After a while, I heard him sniffling. My letter had brought tears to his eyes.

While we ate our pancakes, he kept telling me how much he appreciated what I had written.

We were both very happy.... and that was really such a special day for us. After work, we went with our friends Ut and Oy to Kad Suan Kaew in Chiang Mai City. We had a lovely anniversary dinner at Sizzlers.

Ernie and I loved going to Sizzlers for their salad bar and hamburgers, and we felt that we wanted to celebrate our anniversary only with this couple who had become such a special part of our life in Chiang Mai.

After dinner, Ut and Oy surprised us by bringing us to a karaoke bar. It was my very first time to be in a karaoke bar. But in Thailand, we discovered that they loved to sing and that special occasions were often celebrated this way.

So I found myself singing Karen Carpenter's Yesterday Once More, and Ernie got to sing his favorite song, New York New York.

(Ernie studied in New York for his twelfth grade; since then, New York City has been a very special place for him. And Frank Sinatra's New York, New York is one of the songs that he could sing very well.)

Ut dedicated the two songs he sang to Ernie and me, Cuando, Cuando, Cuando, and the Beatle's famous song, All My Lovin'.

It was such an enjoyable evening, and it was to be the last time that Ernie and I would celebrate our wedding anniversary.

--0--

During the necrological service, I read that anniversary letter. Indeed many were crying as I shared the special words I had written for my husband. The words were words of honor, a fitting tribute to my husband on the day we buried him.


As I remember the day we were wed, thirty one years ago, I only want to thank God for the beautiful life we shared, and for having given me such a good, unselfish, kind-hearted, and generous man for a husband. Today, I want to thank my heavenly Father for the beautiful, tender, and heart-warming memories that my husband left behind.

--0--

I taught a French song (using the English lyrics) to my English class in Chiang Mai, Thailand. This morning, I remembered this song, and I am stunned as I read the lyrics of the song. It's a beautiful song, and I'm posting the words below. Little did I know that this song would be speaking about my life, and now, it too has become my song. (If you want to hear how this song goes, click on the link to Jane Olivor's version of this song which I have pasted at the bottom.)

c'Est La Rose l'mportant
(by Gilbert Becaud, English lyrics by Norman Newell)

If you find you're all alone
And the knots of love have bound you
Though the clouds are all around you
There's a rose

Love will come and love will go
Do not waste another hour
There is beauty in a flower
Like a rose

L'important
C'est la rose l'important
C'est la rose l'important
C'est la rose c'est crois moi

You and I must play our part
In this world that keeps on spinning
And our time will come for winning
If we wait

There's a petal and a thorn
There is beauty and there's sorrow
And we all must face tomorrow
Like a rose

L'important...

For as sure as there's a sky
And a sun so high above us
There is One Who's meant to love us
In this world

There's a rhythm to our lives
There's a rhyme and there is reason
And we all will find our season
Like a rose

L'important...

Below are some pictures, as well as some songs that Ernie and I loved.

March 18, 2008
Ernie and me on our 30th wedding anniversary - dinner at Sizzlers, in Chiang Mai City.

Celebrating our 30th wedding anniversary in Chiang Mai with our friends Ut and Oy.

"Ernie at 17"
This picture was taken in 1963 at the Manila International Airport just before his flight to New York City.

Given Wings blog post for March 18, 2008 (30th wedding anniversary in Chiang Mai, Thailand)

Saying Goodbye blog post for December 31, 2008



Wind Beneath My Wings (by Bette Midler)

C'est la rose l'important (byJane Olivor)

Yesterday Once More (Richard and Karen Carpenter at The Netherlands in 1974)

New York New York (as sung by Sam Sparacio)


Remember (by Harry Nilsson)


This post is dedicated to the memory of my husband Ernie, to my one and only sister who also loved him very much, to my Thai friends Ut and Oy, and to all my blog friends out there in cyber space most of whom I have never met face to face but who have somehow befriended me and kept me company during my season of grief.