20 October 2008

Anniversario

Child bride

Saturday was our 22nd anniversary and when we told our acquaintances here about the happy occasion we got some strange looks. There is general disbelief that we have been married that long for two reasons: one most people think we are five or ten years younger than we are and then they don’t believe we were actually married that young. You see, in Italy getting married in your early twenties is a rarity.

I was telling my barber while he was shaving me and he had a funny look on his face and asked me how old I was, I think he thought I had again mixed up my Italian. Once he had the numbers straight he asked if it was true that I was twenty-five when we got married…”Si”. He was genuinely surprised that first of all I was that old and two that we married that young. Let’s just say Valerie is a few years younger than I, I do find some joy in telling friends she was a “child bride”.

One of our barista friends who was engaged for twenty years before being married was just as surprised by the length of our marriage and our ages. This was repeated several times during the day with various looks of amazement and expressions of “auguri” during the day.

The regular response we get of disbelief to how old we are often makes me wonder: is it the genes, have we lived that well or is it that I still act like a kid? Hopefully it is a combination of all of the preceding.

Here’s to another 22 plus more years with mia bella moglie!

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Congratulations on your anniversary. I hope that you continue to live life to the full and are blessed with many more years. You have been an inspiration to my wife and I.

Anonymous said...

Tanti Auguri!!! :) May you have many more beautiful years of marriage ahead of you.

Anonymous said...

Auguri to a very young looking couple!

Carol ReMarks said...

Happy Anniversary!

Anne in Oxfordshire said...

Congratulations on your anniversary. I had to look twice at your photo..:-)

Bryan said...

Thanks everyone for the Auguri. God willing we will be together, here in Italy, well into our Golden years.

Anonymous said...

Happy Anniversary! Keep living the dream!

Texas Espresso said...

I think looking young is a combination of all of that =) I come from a family who age late in life and have long marriages. And I am thankful I look younger than I am. hehe Isn't it funny that Italians don't blink an eye at dating 20+ years? I know a couple who have been dating 20+ years but the man half says he is not ready to get married because he doesn't know her well enough? lol ooookkkkkk

Anyway, happy anniversary - I wish you many more to come!