T’s Top 5 Anniversary Songs

Happy anniversary Ron!!

Ron and I have been married 22 years today! I’m no marriage expert, but, I am an expert in my marriage, so I thought I would put together T’s top 5 tips for a successful marriage by reflecting on ours through music.

Before I jump into the tunes, I could list hundreds of adjectives to describe Ron’s kind soul and why he’s perfect to me. Instead, I will share a recent story. Over dinner last week, I was telling Ron that my sugarist had say goodbye to her beloved dog, Razzle, right before Christmas. I was a little choked up talking about the gentle giant that I nicknamed Razzle Dazzle, and I glanced over and Ron had a tear streaking down his cheek… and he’d never met Razzie before. Yah, he’s a little bit of alright.

#5 – It’s traditions baby…

Let’s get started! My first tip for a successful marriage is to create and maintain traditions. Whether it’s standing date night or a yearly adventure, make them special and look forward to them. Every Sunday morning, Ron and I have coffee, snuggle our dogs and watch CBS Sunday Morning. Every summer we go camping for a week with the family. In the fall, we drive to Indiana to watch a Notre Dame Fighting Irish college football game and every American Thanksgiving we book the day off, make a turkey, watch football and have drinks while enjoying The Band’s Last Waltz.

Directed by Martin Scorsese and made into one of the best rock documentaries of all time, The Last Waltz was The Band’s final concert held on Thanksgiving Day at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco. My pick for #5 is Richard Manuel’s “The Shape I’m In”. He’s our fav Band man and does not get nearly enough screen time in the movie (along with Garth). Ron has even paid his respect’s at Manuel’s grave in Stratford, ON.

#4 – Inside jokes / word play

I’m pretty sure every partnership has little inside jokes, quips and vocabulary that are known only to them. These little word plays, and change-ups make you feel both connected and set apart from everyone else. I know Ron and I have tons of them, and each time I hear one, I laugh and give him the look like “we’ve got this – it’s ours.”

So, this pick is from my all-time favourite Canadian band, The Tragically Hip. In the last verse, when the dream ends, Gord sings:

Then the dream ends when the phone rings, You're doing alright he said it's out there most days and nights, But only a fool would complain. Anyway Susan, if you like, Our conversation is as faint as a sound in my memory, As those fingernails scratching on my hull.

Ron will sing, “Anyway, Teresa” and I will sing “Anyway, Ron”. Gosh, typing it makes us sound so lame, but, I think it’s glorious and special.

He also changes the word “world” to “squirrels” in Everclear’s Santa Monica….

We can live beside the ocean Leave the fire behind Swim out past the breakers Watch the squirrels die

#3 – Comfortably aligned

This one was hard to choose and even harder to explain. I am firm believer in fate and what will be, was meant to be. Ron and I were meant to be. We were meant to grow up together (we were married in our early 20s) and build ourselves a comfortable life. We know what we value without discussion. We don’t need long talks deep into the night, we just know what works for us and what doesn’t. So, I’m cracking out my favourite lyrics ever written for this one – it’s from the Postal Service’s “Such Great Heights”.

I am thinking it's a sign That the freckles in our eyes Are mirror images And when we kiss they're perfectly aligned

#2 – Know your pink rabbits

Yah, we’ve all heard it, “Happy Wife, Happy Life”, but, it really should be changed to “Be her favourite, bring her favourites.” Ron knows I love black licorice, hard pretzels, hot chocolate and crossword scratchers…and he treats me with my favs routinely. I’m not hard to please and I don’t need much, just a warm mug of hot chocolate and a giant sourdough pretzel, please.

Side note, I know Ron’s favourites too…like good tooth floss, the menthol nose sniffer and coffee after dinner.

For this pick, I chose our favourite band, The National. They still seem fringe to us, like our own special group that not many people have heard of. We are die-hard National fans and would likely turn into dead-head National nerds if we had the means. If you haven’t yet, watch Mistaken For Strangers, the National’s hilarious rock doc.

So, here’s Pink Rabbits, because of this:

Am I the one you think about when you're Sitting in your faintin' chair drinking pink rabbits?

#1 - Your tune

This is must. You must have your song…a song that, when it comes on the radio, you immediately think of your partner and smile. Enough said. Here’s ours…a weird one, but, it’s the first song we danced to in February 1996. We were married in January 1997.