Built to Last

Today is our 19th anniversary, and I was thinking back:
1. We had our three favorite priests participate in our wedding. I think our shared faith has been more imporant than we realized; it was the best gift we could have given each other!

2. I was a little disappointed we didn't register for china, but I had the greater joy of choosing some that I really liked, later in life, when we could afford the complete set.

3. I love the fact that several wedding gifts are still going strong:
**beautiful lamps from my parents, which still match our sitting room;
**big Coleman cooler from the guys at the airport, that still takes picnic lunches to hockey tournaments;
**VCR from a wealthy friend, back when they were the newest technology;
**fancy silverware, which my Grandmother traditionally gave to each grandchild as they married;
**white blender, which matches any kitchen decor and has gone from making margaritas in our younger days--to baby food in the intervening years--to health-food shakes in our mid-life battles with cholesterol and cancer.

Overall, I would tell young brides-to-be to focus on the ceremony and its sacrament rather than the gift registry.