A Toast

At the weekend we celebrated my Grandparents diamond wedding anniversary. For all of you who are unaware—as I was—that’s 60 years. 60 years! It was a lovely party, totally heart wrenching, especially when they did a re-enactment of their wedding cake photo. In my life I’ve been lucky enough to celebrate with two couples in my family on their diamond anniversary. My Grandma was talking about ordering her telegram from the Queen, which reminded me that my great-grandparents used to have theirs framed on the wall, all those years ago.
I’ve done a bit of research on these telegrams: it seems there are only two ways in which you can get one, both of which invariably involve being very old. Firstly, as I’ve said, you have to have a diamond wedding anniversary. The other option open to us is to turn 100 years old. But the good news is that you get another one at 105, then one each year thereafter. I think my chances of ever qualifying for either option one or two are pretty slim. It seems the Queen has pretty high expectations.
I’m wondering whether a diamond wedding anniversary is going to become a thing of the past? Even if we don’t count only marriages but all relationships, I don’t know how many people in my generation will ever see that day even as a couple. In the world of ‘anniversaries’ (which of course I’m not even on the scale of yet because obviously it involves a rather minute detail called a wedding) I have made it to ‘iron.’ Not the most romantic thing I’ve ever heard. If I am to have a go at making it to diamond then I, or should I say we have only got 52 years left. According to a website ‘the history of the diamond anniversary’ (gripping stuff) diamond was originally for the 75 mark. Now that just seems unreasonable. I’m not sure it’s even possible. Get married at 20, celebrate at 95… Apparently it changed after Queen Victoria celebrated her 60^th year on the throne in 1897, and decided to call it her diamond jubilee. Couples then followed her lead. So there you go! I think my favourite anniversary has to be 80, entitled Oak. Whoever made that up had a rather morbid sense of humour.  
When researching the names of the different anniversary years, I found some rather amusing website names, the most amazing being ‘women’s thoughts.’ Obviously I had to take a look, to see what it is I’m supposed to be thinking. It’s actually quite a sweet website for the forty-something woman, a forum in which they can chat and have their say. But, I ask you, is it really necessary to include a list of every Anniversary and corresponding jewel/piece of crap that comes with it. I mean, what a cliché ladies.
Anyway, what is the point in this random selection of musings? I guess I just think that making it to sixty years of marriage is something to be proud of and deserves a mention. That’s all.