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Today would have my in-law’s 46th Wedding Anniversary. As my wife Lanna said in a wonderful post, it’s “A Day for Lilacs” which was always the flower of their anniversary. Beautiful and heartbreaking.

Dottie and Walter’s journey was a glorious one together, and we try to support Dottie as she deal with life without her partner. I am glad we live close by.

It made me think about my life partnership, and my parents.

My parents were married January 2, 1972, which means they had their 40th Anniversary this year. She is lucky to still have him 4 years from the toughest summer of our family’s lives dealing with months in the hospital in the neuro ICU and a diagnosis of brain cancer. Their partnership is a big part of why I am the man I am today. They love each other clearly. The read together, listen to music together, know when to give each other space and when to be together. I am very lucky to have Christine Davis and Henry Davis as my parents.

And of course, I am lucky to have my amazing wife Lanna Lee Maheux. She is beautiful, creative, hilarious and amazing. My partner in every way. I often joke about the “time before Lanna,” and it’s only partly a joke. She centers me, kisses me, hugs me and inspires me to be a better man every day. I love her, and it’s amazing that 10 years ago we didn’t even know each other.

I met her a couple of months after on January 18th. Our first contact was online on January 2nd, 2003 through Spring Street Networks. Her through Bust’s dating site, mine through Nerve’s, I put for profession that I was a dreamer which is very nice way to say unemployed. She put on hers that she was looking for tall and funny, and smart and funny, .. and funny .. and funny. We chatted online, a couple weeks later made a date to meet at the Gershwin Hotel just north of Madison Square in New York City, and less than a year later on January 13th, 2004 we were engaged. A few months after on July 3rd, 2004 we were married and on our adventure together, now with rings.

She completes me, I know she is in pain right now and I am too. I am lucky to find a life partnership may don’t. If it hurts, doesn’t feel right, makes you feel less, makes you feel like you are giving up something, it’s not a life partnership and you should move on. If a partnership makes you feel greater, makes you laugh together, makes you cry together, makes you want to be together forever than it’s special and you are lucky.

My mother-in-law Dottie Maheux was very, very lucky. Now is the tough time to journey in life without a life partner. We love you Dottie, we love Walter and always will.

Edmund