I know not how many more of these milestones we may have together, but for the twenty-two that we have been blessed with, I wish to take this opportunity to update an ode written on this occasion last year.  Addendum to ode, follows.  The self-portrait attached is a relic from the days before the term “selfie” was coined.

For living up to the promise of being by my side “in sickness and in health;” 

For researching every conceivable permutation of any ailment affecting me — imaginary or otherwise; 

For smiling at me while you say that I will outlive everyone I know;

For permitting me to revel in my dark moods for only so long;

For finding something funny to say in the most unexpected of times;

For offering to switch parental roles to be the ‘bad guy’ every once in a while;  

For reminding me that the latest parental challenge isn’t quite the end of the world just yet;

For being an incredibly caring father to my children;

And for anticipating all sorts of needs and wants for them – and for fulfilling them sometimes even before the request is made;

For being indulgent on my most difficult days;

And for putting up a fight every so often so things never get old;

For occasionally letting me get a taste of my own medicine (yikes!);

For being a coach, mentor, and mover on my career-related endeavors;

For thinking of every eventuality before it occurs (most of the time!);

For compensating for any lack of planning by being an agreeable companion to proposed plans;

For never shying away from leading us in prayer upon request;

For having the ability to speak to anyone anywhere;

For being a master griller every summer;

For thinking of the birds and the bird-feeders, and better yet, the joy of watching them through our kitchen window;

For putting up the Christmas lights on the tree in our front yard, and insisting that electric blue is way better than those multi-colored lights;

For being a master builder, painter, landscaper, wall-art hanger, and handyman extraordinaire;

For paying the bills with your phone – forget the computer! 

For always driving me anywhere I want to go;

For telling me to have a good time when I’m out with friends — and then texting me to ask for address just in case I need a ride back;

For all these reasons and many more unspoken ones, I raise a glass to you, Sweet Husband;

Here’s a Twenty-One Gun salute to you, on this our Twenty-Second Anniversary!

Ode to My Husband on the Second Day of July

July 2, 2014 Smriti D. Isaac

For catching my eye across the room, and coming over to admire the artwork  on the walls of a common friend’s house;

For introducing me to the songs of Cat Stevens, Leonard Cohen, Gordon Lightfoot, and Supertramp;

For loaning me your copy of Owen Meany and The Road Less Traveled;

For showing me your recipe for egg-fried rice;

For taking me to all your favorite haunts for Kathi Rolls, Fried Fish, Tandoori Chicken, and the best Udipi in town;

For giving me more advice than I’d ever expected (or needed) – on people and places in the big city;

For offering me a helping hand and a kind ear always;

For casually strumming your guitar and singing ‘Bobby McGee’ for me;

For inviting me to the many house-parties at your many friends’ houses;

For sharing your love of the theatre, sports, and fitness;

For pressing upon me your trusty old Ambassador car – so I could have an easy ride in to work;

For embracing my family as your own;

For asking me if I truly had any faith in a May-December union;

For leaving your well-established life to follow me to another land;

For being an able provider and protector at all times – even when I thought I didn’t need it;

For your quirky sense of humor, and for teaching me to be light-hearted;

For your generosity to friends and strangers, and your kindness to all;

For being an amazingly loving and competent father to my two children;

For forgiving my impatience and petulance – among a thousand other shortcomings;

For loving me, encouraging me, and believing in me – even when I didn’t in myself;

For being a handyman extraordinaire, and for building everything I could ever conceive of;

For traveling the world with me, and indulging my every interest;

For making every friend of mine your own; and for letting every friend of yours become a friend of mine;

For sharing my love of God, and accompanying me to church and small-groups over the years;

For being a caring person who is sweet and sensitive;

For all these reasons and many more unspoken ones, I raise a glass to you, Sweet Husband;

Here’s a Twenty-One Gun salute to you, on this our Twenty-First Anniversary!

Note on picture below:  Dug up from the annals of history in commemoration of the second day of July.  Circa early 1993 in New Delhi, India, a self-portrait.  Later that summer, we were sharing the same last name.