Bitter Sweet Anniversary

"Good morning, baby, love you, happy anniversary," my fiance' said.  I turned my head away from him (went to bed with beer and onions on my breath, I love him way too much to kill him before the day gets started) and repeated the same.  The next words he spoke made me feel really sad.  "Today is also the eighteenth anniversary of my mom dying," he said.  I knew that.  After all, two years ago, when we were still a new couple, we had talked about everything under the sun that first week we were spilling the good, the bad and the ugly details of our past lives, during our lengthy telephone conversations. 

Yep, his mom had passed on the 7th of February, when he was just fifteen years old.  What a terrible age to loose your mom, especially if she was your sole caregiver.  He talked with pride as he revealed their life together.  He was the last of four children so of course he was considered the baby.  He said she ruled with an iron-clad hand and I can tell, because despite his rough persona, he is respectful and knows how to treat a lady; even one that a lesser man would have assaulted long ago, due to a flippy mouth.  Either he knows I'd fight to the death, or his momma taught him never to hit a female unless you were fighting in self-defense, cause he deals with me and my mouth with a patience I've not seen in many.  Oh, here I go, getting off topic, AGAIN. 

Back on topic, sort of...we discussed all the important numbers in our lives.  Right now, I'm 43 and he's 34; the same number backwards.  My birthday and his daughter's birthday are on the same day; August 23.  His birthday is on the thirteenth of April; thirteen is my lucky number.  We met on the anniversary of his mom passing, which is seven days away from Valentine's Day.  For anyone who believes that numerals are important, you're probably getting chills down your spine right about now. 

Okay, really, back on topic...today is a day of celebration for a two year relationship that appears to be on the right track.  It is also a day of mourning as my mate truly does miss his mother, even after all of these years.  He attributes her death to him making some poor choices in life as she left him at a critical point in his life.  It's time out for blaming things on the past and although his mother is not here, God sent him, two years ago, on her death's anniversary, someone who cares about him and his well being.  As a matter of fact, he along with several family members claim that I remind them of her.  With that being said, I feel privileged to be a part of his life, as our anniversary, makes her anniversary a little bit more bearable for him.  Until next time..."Live your life by loving yourself."