April 20, 2006 - Day 2 - Week 3 - Anniversary

My father went to a routine physical exam shortly after his 51^st birthday in the fall of 1977.  He then boarded a plane for England that same day.  Barely finishing his first pint of ale he was summoned home by his physician who greeted him the next day with the news that he had lung cancer.  A smoker since his piloting days during the Second World War, two masses of cancer were found on his left lung.  Dr. Sam Wylie of the Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center in New York City, and the gentleman who had removed Arthur Godfrey’s lung, provided my father with his only chance of survival – take out the whole lung.

5 years later to the day, my father was given the good news that the cancer had not returned and most likely would not ever again.  On the anniversary of his surgery, and in celebration of the clean bill of health, my dad bought a boat.  He named the boat Good News, and to this day, the second iteration of that boat plies the waters of Chesapeake Bay under a watchful skipper, Jay Kreitler, my brother.

Anniversaries should be about good news.  How often we are told by the friend who has beaten cancer, and told with pride, that this is the 10^th year of living cancer free.  Milestones are noted and honored by those who have beaten the disease.  I look forward to the day when I can say as did my father, hooray this is my 5^th, 10^th, 25^th, and yes 38^th year cancer free.  My dad lived to the ripe old age of 89 with only one lung.  Each anniversary was indeed a celebration in our family.

I share this today because I have thought about anniversaries all day for it was 21 years ago today that Katy and I said our vows at St. Matthew’s Church.  We shared a simple supper for two of cauliflower, Caesar salad, and calamari.  We exchanged cards at dinner and pledged 21 plus more years together.  We felt that is a good goal for anyone, and especially poignant for the two of us today.

In our culture it is especially important to set aside time to celebrate those events and those people that matter most in our lives.  Thank goodness for anniversaries of all types.