Help us Celebrate
Our 14th wedding anniversary is coming up on Wednesday (July 2nd).
We are trying to figure out where to go eat to celebrate. This is one of the few times of the year when we really go spend money at a good restaurant.
Bryan and I went over a big list this afternoon in the pool while we were cooling off from yard work. We are so lucky to be here in Charleston to have so many wonderful places to chose from.
14 years. It's finally starting to sound like a long time. Even longer when you put into play the fact the we had been dating 7 1/2 years by the time we were walking down the aisle on that bright, hot (but not too hot), July 2nd day. It had rained ever so slightly that morning. Which made the humidity come out for a brief time a few hours before the ceremony. But by the time we met each other at the alter it was a typically hot, gorgeous, summer afternoon.
I can remember that for no particular reason I was so afraid that Bryan wasn't going to show up. He is not the "running away" type. And he had never so much as acted anything but totally sure about marrying me. But there is always that one person who is left at the alter. Be it the day of, the week of, or some time shortly prior to the wedding. I had a friend whose brother re-thought his decision to get married a few days before his wedding. And I was, for some reason, afraid that this was going to be my fate too. I felt as if the odds had to run out somewhere.
Earlier in the day, while I was at the brides maid's luncheon, Bryan's father called Poogan's Porch to speak with me. I thought it was odd that restaurant staff came into our room looking for "the bride". I of course thought that maybe Bryan (or someone) had sent some kind of present for me. How exciting!
When they told me I had a phone call my curiosity was peaked. When I reached the phone I found my soon to be father-in-law on the other end. Still I'm thinking something neat must be getting ready to take place.
Instead. Out of his mouth come these awful words: "Anne. We've lost Bryan. He's gone."
WHAT!!!!!????? Is all I can think and say.
What has happened. I can't believe Bryan has died on our wedding day. Or wait...has he left town? Getting as far away from our wedding as possible? Surely not.
These were really the thoughts that were going through my head.
My father in law must hear the panic in my voice. I'm still not sure of what I was hearing, so erring on the side of "there's no way he has really died on our wedding day", I mumble something along the lines of "What do you mean? What happened? Where is he?"
He then proceeds to tell me that he was following Bryan to the hotel to drop off our bags and a car for the morning. Bryan got through the light, but he (my father-in-law) got stopped by it.
What he actually said was more like this: "Bryan shouldn't have gone through the stop light. Now he's gone". Or something similarly scary sounding when you're already jumping to the wrong conclusions. At this point, my mind's eye is seeing Bryan being blindsided by some large truck - I was starting to really feel a panic set in.
He then asks me if I can tell him where we're staying that night after the reception (we had told no one - there are a lot of practical jokers in our families and circle of friends).
I was so confused. Why did he need to know this if Bryan was gone? Turned out, he'd be able to find Bryan there, he just wasn't sure where he was going since no one had told him where we were staying. He was simply following Bryan, and Bryan had done a great job of driving away from him. Forgetting his dad had no idea where we were staying.
I know this sounds crazy, but this was a time before there were cell phones in every one's pocket. Really, most people didn't have one. And if they did, this was certainly a time before anyone would have brought it with them into a luncheon. Since reaching Bryan by cell wasn't an option, calling me at the restaurant from some pay phone somewhere was the only thing to do short of showing up at the luncheon. Wouldn't that have sent me over the edge?
What a quick panic attack I had. We all laughed about this at the luncheon. But I can still remember being relieved when someone finally told me that Bryan was at the church getting ready. I had been asking every 5 minutes or so.
And now, here we are - 14 years later.
I'm so glad he showed up.
So, back to my original thought behind this post....feel free to leave your restaurant suggestion in the comments section. I would love the input and to hear your favorite place to go celebrate.
