“What did you do on your anniversary?” a friend asked.
“The six of us went out to dinner at the restaurant where Dave and I had our first date.”
This statement produced a quizzical look.
“You brought your kids on your anniversary date?”
Yes, we did. And it was fantastic.
Celebrating together
All of our children, who were in high school and college at the time, happened to be home and available on our anniversary. My husband, Dave, and I thought it would be a great opportunity for the six of us to celebrate together at the restaurant where he and I had our first date. We’d gone to that restaurant many times as a couple, but this time was different. As we reminisced about our early days of getting to know each other, we invited our four favorite people to join us.
We spent the entire evening sharing story after story about our first date and the early days of our relationship. Of course, our kids had a basic idea of how things had played out that special night, but they were eager to learn the details, including why we had decided on this restaurant (Dave had a coupon), what we ordered and where we sat.
A new family memory
During our celebratory meal, Dave and I shared with our children how we could see, in retrospect, that God had been instrumental. Not only in our first encounter but also throughout our relationship. With only a three-month window where our paths could have crossed, everything fell into place for us. Even down to where we were both living temporarily when we met. Sharing this early part of our lives with our kids helped them see us not just as their parents but as two young adults beginning life together. It was fun for them to see us in a different light and create a new family memory.
Our favorite celebration
This unusual date was worth the curious looks friends gave me when I described our “intimate” six-person anniversary meal. Dave and I felt privileged to share a night of stories with our children. Of all the romantic anniversary dinners we’ve enjoyed over the years, our 22nd anniversary stands out as our favorite because we invited our kids to celebrate with us.
