I was getting all ready to post a ton of photos of Amy in her many guises from the past year when…my hard disk croaked today. A good reminder to always back up, and (in a geeky sort of way) of the fleeting nature of all things. This also has to be a fleeting anniversary salute.

Rivalry

Growing up in a modern Jewish home, I wasn’t exposed to the notion of being “blessed” in the way it is usually thrown around in America. But that is a word I keep returning to in describing how it is to have met Amy post-college and now to have been together with her for 14+ years, 12 of them legal.

Amy is pretty awesome, and in a self-effacing way ends up providing vital love and friendship to a wide circle of people even beyond me and the girls. I am not exaggerating when I say that this past year in particular, some dear friends found in Amy a combination of love, candor and support that kept their lives on a good course. There are times when the busyness of three kids, many activities led and guided, and this circle of friends leads Amy and I to feel we are kind of ships hugging as we pass folding laundry at night (maritime metaphor listing to starboard there). But throughout I feel incredibly fortunate to be the constant companion of such a force of good in the world. Modestly, I see myself as kind of like the reticent brown dwarf star in a binary with a brilliant Sol-like G, hidden from distant astronomers’ view but detectable by the ever-lovin’ bright star’s orbital path (sorry for the technical astronomy jargon there).

This coming year I look forward to many more orbits around each other and of our wee planetoids around us. Some recovered photos of Amy in her element appear below.

Amy as woodland gremlin

Amy with the girls, who now can all swim thanks to her and Charles River Aquatics

Miss E with her papier-mache shoe that was the centerpiece of Amy’s fabulous art camp she ran last week for nine girls