Hey there . Yesterday was our 36th wedding anniversary . 15 years ago , in 2010, . I wrote this passage and I remember thinking that day , all those years ago , that one day I'd maybe I always have been .
I called it life by us . 30 years ago , I met Philip . That's when life as I knew it changed . I was only 15 , just two years older than our Haley is now . I have to admit , I can start to relate to the panic that set in when my parents realized they were losing me .
Speaker 11980 . Records and ghetto blasters , michael Jackson and Michael Jordan , reagan the Pope , assassination attempts , the royal wedding . I had my own phone in my bedroom . Now that was cool . I still remember the number . Don't think speed dial
even existed . We actually had to memorize the numbers . Philip and I used to talk on the phone for hours at a time , often falling asleep while we talked in bed . It would drive my parents crazy . They'd never survive Facebook . So here I sit on my bed looking out over the city of Burbank at the beginning of yet another new chapter of our life , waiting for the cable guy to install the internet . Today marks our 21st wedding anniversary and my laptop , in some kind of a time warp , has stuck itself on 1969 . I was five years old then , too far back for my purposes here . I couldn't resist looking just now to see what day August 12th was in 1980 , a Tuesday , probably just before we met in the early fall for the cabaret auditions Life before Philip . I had to reset the time zone on my laptop too . It felt good , setting it to West Coast time . It seemed somehow apt that I begin this writing endeavor on August 12th , our 21st wedding anniversary .
Speaker 1We got married in 1989 aboard the tall ship the Challenge . It was a beautiful Saturday evening on Lake Ontario . I remember when my
dad proudly walked me onto the ship , someone shouting from the shore make her walk the plank . Little did he know that jumping into deep , uncharted waters with Philip was not only something I was prepared to do but has become our chosen modus operandi , our mantra , our way of life . The wedding was beautiful , or so I'm told .
Speaker 1In the handful of photos that exist , everyone looks happy and young . We don't have even one framed picture of us at our wedding . In fact , the photos are in a photo trunk in Philip's mom's basement somewhere . No wedding planner , no bachelor parties , no flower girls . It's funny . We're probably one of the happiest married couples I know , and yet neither of us wear our rings . There are no signs anywhere that it is actually official . I guess we've just never needed to be reminded .
Speaker 1Those vows were made when we were teenagers . I would have loved to have been a guest at our ceremony , though . I mean , how often do you get a chance to go on a boat for a wedding ? Neither of us is religious , which is why we chose neutral ground . It's no surprise in retrospect that the event was one of a kind . Even then , we had a knack for event producing . The fact that we chose a ship to exchange our vows of a life together could not have been more fitting .
Speaker 1Motion and journey , two very
strong symbols in our life . Together , new adventures , destinations uncharted . There were 40 special humans who sailed into the sunset with us to celebrate that hot August night , and they came from all sides of the family and both sides of the ocean . Some are still with us and some have sailed on , but the family bond has remained strong on both sides . Last night , 36 years later , I watched the moon rise over the lake . Its reflection grew closer like a golden carpet rolling out toward me as it ascended to the starry sky , the same moon that shone .
Speaker 1All those years ago , john , all those years ago , on August 12th 1989 , our wedding day , the moon was in the waxing gibbous phase , meaning it was more than half illuminated , growing to full . How apt for a young couple on the cusp of beginning their life together . Like moonbeams , we grew brighter as we reached for the stars together . Last night , on our 36th , the moon was in its waning gibbous phase , which means bright but gradually shrinking after the full moon . But we are not the moon , and I smile knowing we have remained the captains of our ship , the authors of our story . Life by us , our life together , still shines brightly and my sails are ready to unfurl for the next adventure . Happy anniversary , my love . I'm Lisa Hopkins . Stay safe and healthy , everyone
, and remember to live in the moment .