Today is a very special day for me; it is an anniversary; a special anniversary; an Anniversary of the Heart! What is the difference between an anniversary and an “Anniversary of the Heart” you might ask?
Well, there are anniversaries we tell others about and many people in our lives know of them. And then there are those dates we hold in our hearts that we never share, or rarely share, with others. If they are shared, it is only with special friends who will understand.
They are the day we signed the divorce papers; the day we decided to quit the JOB to start our own business; the day we were diagnosed with the “C” word; the day we discovered we were pregnant; the day a loved one died. These are the days, especially as a woman, we remember and no one else has a clue what we are feeling. They haven’t a clue because they don’t know to what extent our lives changed that day.
The Gift of the Red Envelope: A Guide to Designing Balance, Order & Beauty in Your Home – An “Anniversary of the Heart” was finished on this date in 1998. It also was the last day of radiation treatment my husband, Hilory, underwent for base-of-tongue cancer.
April 2 is an “Anniversary of the Heart” day for me. In 1998 the love of my life, Hilory Brown, ended his last day of radiation treatment for base-of-tongue cancer. He had undergone 42 days of treatment.
It started with a diagnosis in the summer of 1996 when a doctor stated Hilory had “less than 2 months to live.” During an exploratory surgery, the doctor saw a tumor in Hilory’s throat. The next 18 months were a rollercoaster of appointments and emotions for all of us. It is a story far too long to write about here.
Hilory started the radiation in mid-February, right after Valentine’s Day. A week later he had to have a stomach tube inserted to allow him to receive food and water in order to stay alive.
About the same time I attended a National Speakers Association Winter Workshop in San Francisco where one of the topics was “You Can Write a Book in 30 Days!” I had thought of writing a book for some time. In fact, I even had the title: “The Gift of the Red Envelope.”
Six months prior to us as a family undergoing this horrendous experience of life, I had committed to teach a 6-week class on interior design for the Foster City Parks & Recreation Department. It was to start at the end of March. Too much had been going on and I hadn’t addressed any of the preparation work. I finally sat down to create the text and handouts for it on March 11.
Celebrating an Anniversary of the Heart – a “surprise” celebration of a fresh crab candlelight dinner for two. We are celebrating 15 years of health, love and happiness.
How do I remember it was March 11? Because I wrote for the next 22 days straight, except for Easter Day, which I decided to take off. It was a day to renew myself. I wrote between the hours of 7 p.m. and 4 a.m. for each of those 22 days.
I don’t recommend this practice for anyone planning to write a book under most circumstances. But sometimes there is a Higher Power at work. That was the case for me. It became obvious to me about halfway through creating the “handouts” they were not handouts, they comprised a book.
It was the Red Envelope book. Yet it wasn’t just a book, it was a spirit-guided expression of my feelings about “home” and the importance of home. It was a blending of interior design, Feng Shui and Spirituality. It was what kept me alive when all else in my life was crumbling – my foundation of belief that Hilory would be all right, that we would live a long and happy life together.
About a week before Hilory’s last appointment something in me made a declaration, “The last day of Hilory’s radiation will be the last day I write on this book!”
- The last day of Hilory’s last treatment – April 2, 1998
- The last day of writing “The Gift of the Red Envelope: A Guide to Designing Balance, Order & Beauty in Your Home” – April 2, 1998
- – Both are “Anniversaries of the Heart”
- It is our 15th Anniversary!
What are your “Anniversaries of the Heart?” Are you honoring them? Would you like to share them? If so, please add them to the comments in this post. I hold a place of love and honoring energy to acknowledge you and your “Anniversaries of the Heart!”
Thank you, Linda, for bringing this to my mind. My wonderful niece Amy and her husband John just left today from a visit to me. We shared many memories of her late mother, my late mother and her grandmother, and all the gifts and memories they brought to us. Truly, these are Anniversaries of our Hearts, and I now will think of them as that, thanks to your thoughts and comments.
I often think of the wonderful times we’ve had together creating Anniversaries for my Heart with you. One of the many is when I see an old “reader” book or other children’s books from the early 1900’s. Fond memories. Thank you.