My family might tell you I have a habit of recalling events by reminding them, “A month ago at this time we were …..” or, “A year ago we were ….” Maybe it is my own unique way of marking the passing of time.

In her amazing book Simple Abundance, Sarah Ban Breathnach has addressed “Secret Anniversaries of the Heart.” She writes, “Today I am thinking of singular rites of passage, the secret anniversaries of the heart. These are the anniversaries we never talk about, kept in silence and apart. You might remember a first kiss, while I can’t forget the last time I held my father’s hand.”

This month marks a personal such anniversary. Not a Big Event, exactly; rather a cluster of scenes, warmed by time and space. So, how does one observe a Silent Anniversary? Some light candles. I might raise a glass in salute. Most probably, I’ll just smile in quiet thanksgiving. It’s enough to remember, the way we were.