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Celebrating Life

We happened to invite B and his wife to dinner last Saturday which happened to be 9/11. It was the only weekend in the month that worked for everyone. Half way through the evening, they told us it was also their wedding anniversary and they were glad to be out with us. Had we known, we could have organized a better celebration but they were clearly happy even with what we had arranged. This is a couple that has been married decades, have five grown up kids and multiple grand-babies. The marriage has survived a lot and B still dotes on the lady he first met a party forty five years ago. Clearly a relationship worth celebrating on its anniversary. 

Yet 9/11 clouded over their big day for two decades now. They said they hoped their kids would think of something next year - apparently that had not happened as often as they might have wished. Its a date people want to get past, not celebrate. Yet for many this could be a very significant day in their lives and to deny them the chance to be happy or celebrate seems wrong. If we marked every tragedy that befell a large number of people around the world, there would not be a single day left unblemished on the calendar where an average person might feel they have the right to celebrate their own happiness. I was glad we made our friend's otherwise half-forgotten day a cheerful one. 

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