Anniversaries

Today is the 70th anniversary of the D-Day invasion. It's also the 46th anniversary of the death of Robert F. Kennedy. Three days ago, and 150 years ago from that day, the worst day of fighting of the Battle of Cold Harbor occurred. I wrote last summer about the 150th anniversary of the Gettysburg battle.

My grandfather's birthday was yesterday. His name was Josiah Crawford, he was a farmer in the Brownstown, IL area, and he was born June 5, 1886. He died a couple years before I was born, but I was very close to his wife, my grandma, and I heard all about him. This coming September 16 will be both the 15th anniversary of my dad's death and what would've been my father-in-law's 90th birthday. I'll remember the second anniversary of my mother's death two weeks later. Ten years ago, in 2004 but on no particular date, I became acquainted with two people who became "BFFLs," with whom I still interact weekly though we live in different places. They were the first non-family members I told when my mom passed. And…. my wedding anniversary is coming up!

Dates roll around, some significant, some nearly forgotten, some of mostly personal significance. This year I've been focusing on the Sundays and festival days of the Christian liturgical year, and thinking about the significance of each within our overall theological understanding of our faith. This has been tremendously helpful to me as I seek (imperfectly but persistently) to draw closer to God. Anniversaries and particular days can be difficult, but some are wonderful, strengthening. Little wonder that a Jewish writer has called the weekly Sabbath "a sanctuary in time."