Married to an older man

Funny that in the 17 years we've been married, I've never even noticed the age discrepency between Dave and myself. But yesterday he turned 40 and I suddenly feel like I'm married to an older man... afterall I'm hardly a day over 29.

Dave likes good food and a proper birthday celebration involves making stuff to stuff inside of other stuff you've made and then topping it with even more homemade stuff. It is an intense cooking day and there have been years when I have been less content to indulge him. This year was different.

When we were in India last month, Manisha's mother happily sat at the table releasing pomegranate seeds from the fruit for Dave and me. I shared that one time Anna was preparing pomegranates for grandkids and suddenly felt that the work which is usually a chore was as easy and enjoyable as anything. Milind said, "That is the power of emotion."

So for Dave's birthday cuisine I took some emotion, fed by good opera at high volume, and sang my own lyrics: "I love Dave, my Dave, the man I chose." And wouldn't you know, this was a great birthday for us both. The family devoured all our Swedish pancakes in the morning. Dave entertained the kids with stories of his youth for an hour after breakfast. He spent a good portion of his day using his new tools while I made his traditional enchilada dinner, which was also heartily consumed in short order. (They were the best batch I've ever made. Shama says the food tastes better when you love the person for whom you're cooking.) Better than the delicious food, I didn't feel hot and bothered, or even careful and troubled, with the preparations of the day. I only felt pleasure that I had this one day a year to serve Dave, my Dave, the man of my choosing, entirely. Emotion is powerful. How do we say it? "Charity never faileth."

Good morning! It takes one hour to make this breakfast for my family, fewer than 30 minutes for it to disappear. Indeed the food is short-lived, but the sense of love they feel through it endures.

Aleah presents Dave his presents. This year I had the gifts wrapped and ready a day or two before his birthday so he was able to enjoy and use them on his birthday.

Wes and Anna were able to join us for dinner. Katie and Johnny came for cake and ice cream.

Dave felt a little bad that he had graduated from candles to "slabs." But 40 is a big deal! The letters spelled out happy birthday so that he could have a few more lights to wish on. Riley said, holding a letter after they were removed from the cake, "Mom, there was 'p' on the cake." Such Parish humor!