Dinner and a Show

It was the best anniversary yet. On the eve of 29 years from one day at the beach when we met, both of us still recovering from the flu, Amy and I had dinner at one of our favorite local taquerias and then went to a show.

Not just any show -- our kids' closing performance of This Murder Was Staged, a hilarious whodunnit with over-the-top characters and plot twists throughout.

Our oldest Beatrice directed from the balcony during the show. Our youngest Bryce co-starred and delivered some funny and acerbic lines. 

And there was nowhere else on Earth we'd rather be. 

Early on in our relationship, Amy and her mother surprised me with dinner and a show in Half Moon Bay. We saw It's a Wonderful Life, one of my favorites. It's about a man reminded how loved and supported he is by his family and friends, and why he's the "richest" man in town. Makes me cry every time.

That's something I've more than related to over the years, thankfully having many more highs than lows, especially after I met Amy. Early on in our relationship, I was far from soul-centered, but I knew I was on the right path with Amy. Like in Dante's The Divine Comedy, I traveled through hell and purgatory to find my muse at the beach during El Niño '97. She's been guiding me through paradise ever since.

Our vows include why we celebrate the miracle of our choices (a version of which was from the cover of a journal Amy had given to me early on) and the fact that we always choose "us". Us now including our children, part of our choice miracles of the past 18 years. 

I've written many times about the fact that each night at dinner we all share what we're grateful for. It doesn't matter what it is. And even if one of us is not feeling grateful in that moment for whatever reason, we give them the grace to find something. Because there's always something. Always. 

Again, on the eve of our anniversary, and before our kids' last performance, Amy and I went to one of our favorite local taquerias. During dinner we shared how grateful we were for all of "us". After the performance concluded, we waited for our kids to come out into the auditorium lobby so we could celebrate them. 

We're grateful for 29 years of dinner and a show. Our show. Encore!