19th Anniversary

Today I was browsing through an old journal of mine and I read my thoughts on the day that this picture was taken in November, 1994. Dave and I are at the airport shoulder to shoulder - young and awkward. He's about to leave for 2 years and we are 5 years away from a wedding date that has yet to be set. And I already knew that I wanted to marry him. So many hopeful wishes were at the mercy of time and of distance. Today we celebrate our 19th Anniversary and I feel very happy to still be at David's side - shoulder to shoulder. We have many more hopeful wishes to live through together. I thought this poem by Rainer Maria Rilke resonated with how I felt back then and how I still feel now.  David I love you.

Falling Stars 
by Rainer Maria Rilke

Do you remember still the falling stars
that like swift horses through the heavens raced
and suddenly leaped across the hurdles
of our wishes--do you recall? And we
did make so many! For there were countless numbers
of stars: each time we looked above we were
astounded by the swiftness of their daring play,
while in our hearts we felt safe and secure
watching these brilliant bodies disintegrate,
knowing somehow we had survived their fall.