My wife and I celebrate many occasions outside of holidays and birthdays. Our relationship, for example, is approaching 8,000 days, and our marriage nearing 20 years. The 8th of the month is when we first got together, so yesterday was another celebration of love. We also knew each other for many years before these celebrations ever took place. I keep track of all of this on my calendar and in my diary that covers nearly every day of our togetherness. For the first two years, I created artwork that hangs on our bathroom wall and continue to write poems, recounting our anniversaries and adventures throughout all of this. 

Eddies was the restaurant where we first recognized our attraction to each other, so naturally there’s an Eddiversary each year on the 8th of each February. We try to do something special every 8th, but unfortunately even “Date Nights” have been a victim of Coronavirus isolation. We did go shopping a few days ago and picked out two more special charms for my wife’s necklace that I’ll save for Christmas. These personalized jewelry pieces, in addition to Limoges Boxes, are now traditional gifts that I give her on many of these special celebrations. There are now more boxes and poems than the monthly 8ths we’ve celebrated, while the necklace tradition is only a little over a year old. 

Soon, we’ll be moving to Florida and “Date Nights” will once again fill the calendar, as we’ll try new neighborhood restaurants. Only four more 8ths will pass here in Portland before our new home is finished. Sadly, many of our dining favorites here in the city have closed or soon will. Anymore, we typically do carry-out once a week and rotate between our neighborhood favorites of Ling’s, Serratto, and McMenamins. Rarely do we go out for dinner these days, but have many fond memories of elaborate dining all over the world. Hopefully, by next year, our travels will resume, as will our restaurant visits. In twenty years of marriage, there will be 240-8ths to celebrate – each one is special, including April 8, 2021 that just might be spent in Barcelona – if we’re optimistic!