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Today, \u00a0the 26th of June, 2019, Jan Seymour-Ford and I have been married thirty-seven years.<\/p>\n
Thirty-seven is a prime number, one of several special kinds of prime numbers. That\u2019s nice. It\u2019s the atomic number for rubidium, an element with which I was not previously familiar. Although it turns out to be the twenty-third most common element found here on Earth. It is sometimes added to fireworks to produce a purple color. And, I gather, it has one or two other uses. But I do like fireworks. It\u2019s the number of plays generally believed to have been written by the Bard of Avon, although there are demmurals of several sorts to this. There are apparently thirty-seven major spirits called Nats that are worshiped along with the observances of Theravada Buddhism<\/a> in Myanmar. And, if you measure by celsius, thirty-seven is our normative human temperature.<\/p>\n I looked these up. And, I am duly impressed with the significance of thirty-seven. I\u2019m sure you\u2019d have to agree.<\/p>\n I also looked up gifts, and there is no official gift to mark this occasion. When they were cooking up such lists I fear people were living much shorter lives. Or, maybe folk just get bored and wait for the \u201cbig\u201d zeros or fives. Although, there is a gemstone for the occasion: alabaster. My more metaphysically inclined friends say alabaster has the occult property of drawing things to the wearer. Sometimes stuff you want. Sometimes stuff you don\u2019t.<\/p>\n We\u2019ve decided we\u2019ll just go for dinner.<\/p>\n Actually we\u2019ve been celebrating since Sunday afternoon when after I preached at the First Unitarian Church in Los Angeles, we caught the Catalina Express to Avalon. As we\u2019re both California natives, Jan had been there once, at about fourteen, while I\u2019ve never set foot on that little bit of rock we can see on clear days from Long Beach, sticking out there on the horizon, not quite thirty miles from that particular stretch of beach about four blocks from our condo.<\/p>\n I think of these thirty-seven years. Me, I count myself lucky beyond deserving. Those who know both of us seem to agree. Jan, well, I can\u2019t say what it says about her. She doesn\u2019t seem particularly long suffering.<\/p>\n Our little adventure on the island ends today, so our dinner will be somewhere back in Long Beach or nearby. Where precisely hasn\u2019t been decided. We\u2019re counting on a bit of serendipity\u2026<\/p>\n Getting old has its moments. And one of the most delicious is having a partner to enjoy them with.<\/p>\n Hoping for thirty-seven more is both greedy and not particularly likely. But, whatever the fates have decreed, I\u2019m so glad for these past years and glad that Jan & I have each other for some part of what comes next. More, I hope, then fewer.<\/p>\n As time goes by\u2026<\/p>\n
\nA kiss is just a kiss<\/em>
\nA sigh is just a sigh<\/em>
\nThe fundamental things apply<\/em>
\nAs time goes by<\/em><\/div>\n
\nThey still say \u201cI love you\u201d<\/em>
\nOn that you can rely<\/em>
\nNo matter what the future brings<\/em>
\nAs time goes by<\/em><\/div>\n
\nNever out of date<\/em>
\nHearts full of passion<\/em>
\nJealousy and hate<\/em>
\nWoman needs man,* and man must have his mate<\/em>
\nThat no one can deny<\/em><\/div>\n
\nA fight for love and glory<\/em>
\nA case of do or die<\/em>
\nThe world will always welcome lovers<\/em>
\nAs time goes by<\/em><\/div>\n
\nNever out of date<\/em>
\nHearts full of passion<\/em>
\nJealousy and hate<\/em>
\nWoman needs man, and man must have his mate<\/em>
\nThat no one can deny<\/em><\/div>\n
\nA fight for love and glory<\/em>
\nA case of do or die<\/em>
\nThe world will always welcome lovers<\/em>
\nAs time goes by<\/em><\/div>\n