Perennial

A forgotten anniversary, and a vow remembered.

For the past several days, I couldn’t shake the feeling I was forgetting something really important. The week began with a flurry of activity at the office, which occupied most of my attention. But I had the lingering sense something imminent was approaching.

It wasn’t until mid-week when I heard the date and time announced at the top of the news broadcast during my commute home that two realizations hit me with sudden clarity.

The first was that the day was November 9th.

The second was there were mere hours remaining on my 10th wedding anniversary.

I met Elizabeth when we were both 25, on the first night of rehearsals for a theater group I’d just joined. Founded in 1901, The Savoy Company has the distinction of being the oldest amateur group in the U.S. to continually perform the complete works of Gilbert & Sullivan. It also has the reputation of being a particularly social group — some members have jokingly described it as ‘a drinking club with a singing problem.’ Over the ensuing hundred-plus years, it’s been the basis for scores of marriages, which themselves have produced second- and even third-generation members.

I had a difficult time concentrating on the notes and lyrics after first catching sight of Liz over in…