Next Exit- Anywhere

"And now I pronounce you husband and..." and just like that, a milestone is placed in memory. Today is my twelfth wedding anniversary, a favorite milestone of mine.  A milestone is a marker, a line in the road to indicate how far you have come on your journey. It can also indicate how far you still need to go. The important thing is what you experience when notching all those milestones along the way. Some people stay on a long straight road, passing milestones, but too afraid to stop, electing to wait, until they reach the last one. Some people zig zag from road to road, milestones scattered in all directions, fragmenting the events like shards of glass. My milestones feel like scenic stops, stopping to take in the surroundings, detail its significance, and enjoy the view. Then back on the road to the next stop.


All my favorite milestones began with my wedding. My son being born is one cherished milestone set up by that one event. In the last twelve years I have collected many milestones,  events etched in my memory, to call upon for guidance or just for a smile. I use those events to pick the road ahead, slowing at approaching markers, and stopping to embrace.


This past week has been loaded with milestones, my newborn nephew, my wife passing an important exam towards completing her masters, my son on his annual vacation with his cousin and grandparents, and of course my anniversary, milestone number one.