Oh this is lovely! My favorite: I call them fateflickers. Moments that barely shimmer as they happen before quietly dividing everything into before and after. I agree with this completely, though sometimes, at least in my life, these moments are defined by trauma. Thank you so much for sharing!
Thank you so much for reading Jessica and so glad you enjoyed it. I think you’re right, some of our deepest turning points can be shaped by trauma, even if we would never have chosen them. X
Thank you Claire, you are a beautiful weaver of words, a delight to read. I too met my hubby from across a room, too much rum, wandered outside together to watch the comet Hale-Bopp back in 1997. My hubby quoted then and still quotes, Carl Sagan, "the total number of stars in the universe is larger than all the grains of sand on all the beaches of the planet."
He is my star and the chances of meeting him was a one in a million........ ✨️ ⭐️💫
Hey Judith. What a beautiful story. I love that Hale-Bopp became part of your beginning together. Carl Sagan’s quote never fails to fill me with awe. Here’s to extraordinary odds of finding our one star among so many. X
Amazing essay, Claire. Thank you for sharing your love story with us. So many adventures. I do believe that your attitude and perspective on the world also contribute to the health of a 30-year marriage.
Thank you. I think you’re right. Curiosity has probably held us together as much as anything. We’ve never stopped looking outward, and somehow that keeps us finding new things in each other. X
Sometimes, one is lucky enough to meet their person early on. And it sounds like you have both grown together individually and as a couple. You are an inspiration!
What a beautiful acknowledgement of thirty good years. I think sometimes kindred spirits recognise each other even before real life catches up. Spirits twining in the air, or if one believes in reincarnation, perhaps in another life your were two souls linked together and so it shall be into infinity.
I've been married for 50 years to a man who consistently says that the meaning of life, the universe and everything is 42. We literally saw each other across a crowded office and that was it - not love at first sight but perhaps in the distance, a whisper of a Divine harmony. We instantly felt at home, as if we'd known each other forever in times past.
So your post reminded me of much and thanks for the memories.
PS: Also thank you for mentioning the Night Sky app. We walk in the clearest nights with few outdoor lights and I'm forever leaning against my husband, looking up and saying I wish I knew which was what.
Fifty years together is a beautiful testament to finding home in another person. I love the thought that some souls recognise each other long before life catches up with them.
42 is the magic number! I hope the Night Sky app adds a little extra magic to your evening walks. We love it. There’s something rather wonderful about learning the names of the stars beneath the same sky you’ve shared for so many years. Thank you so much for reading Prue. Tons of love ❤️ X
Thank you so much. I’m rather fond of fateflickers too. I love the idea that life is stitched together by those tiny moments that only reveal their meaning when we look back. X
What a beautiful love story. 🤍 I especially loved your idea that our lives are like constellations. That feels so true of marriage, motherhood, and life itself. Thank you for sharing such a tender piece. ✨
Thank you so much. I think that’s exactly it. We only really see the shape of our lives when we look back and join the dots. I’m so glad it resonated with you. ✨ X
Such a wonderful read Claire, your words and stories hold so much depth and beauty 🩵 I was pregnant with my son when that comet graced our skies. It’s lovely you have seen the stars of the southern hemisphere. I don’t think I will manage to do that, but who knows?!
Thank you so much, Claire. I love that your son arrived with a comet overhead. What a wonderful beginning to a story. Who knows, perhaps the southern stars are quietly waiting for your turn. ✨ X
Aw Claire, this was so beautiful and heartwarming, and perfectly describing the life of two young lovers making a go of things. I loved this:
“Nobody writes sonnets about hormonal temperature regulation. Perhaps they should. Perhaps I should!”
Seriously, you write so well. You draw me right in and one minute I’m sentimental and the next I’m chuckling. Beautiful.
Just so you know, my husband and I had the same across the room moment. Except we didn’t meet for three more months- and yet we could remember what each other had been wearing that first time. Your married life and your opposites sound like my husband and I. Our division of physical and emotional labour is handled the same as yours. One day I’d love to meet and sit with a cup of tea and natter on about the subjects we both seem drawn to 😊🫶
Thank you Kathie, so glad you enjoyed it. I love that you and your husband had your own "across the room" moment. Those tiny beginnings somehow become the biggest stories of our lives. Indeed, I do think we'd happily lose a few afternoons over a pot of tea or two, talking about all the little things that make up a life. I have a feeling we'd never run out of conversation. X
Claire, this was absolutely stunning to read. The way you wove together stories, starlight, and all the small moments that make up a life really moved me. There’s something magical about how you capture both the extraordinary and the ordinary, reminding us that the real miracles are in the quiet, everyday ways we choose each other again and again. Your writing makes me want to pause and look up at the sky, to remember the constellations of my own life and how they’ve slowly taken shape. Thank you for sharing your story with such warmth and honesty. It’s a gift.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it and that the story found you. That’s what I hoped for: the ordinary and the extraordinary sitting side by side, and the small moments doing most of the work. All such a long time ago now! I really appreciate you taking the time to read it. X
What a beautiful memory conveyed through the constellations, vowels, and consonants within your lived stream of time. I'm glad you and your husband found your way to each other as so many walk amongst the stars in singular solace.
Oh this is lovely! My favorite: I call them fateflickers. Moments that barely shimmer as they happen before quietly dividing everything into before and after. I agree with this completely, though sometimes, at least in my life, these moments are defined by trauma. Thank you so much for sharing!
Thank you so much for reading Jessica and so glad you enjoyed it. I think you’re right, some of our deepest turning points can be shaped by trauma, even if we would never have chosen them. X
Beautiful 💖
Thank you 🙏
At 35 years in with a not dissimilar beginning, I loved every word of this love story.
Thank you so much. Wow! Thirty-five years is something to celebrate. Here’s to the stories that quietly become a lifetime. X
Thank you Claire, you are a beautiful weaver of words, a delight to read. I too met my hubby from across a room, too much rum, wandered outside together to watch the comet Hale-Bopp back in 1997. My hubby quoted then and still quotes, Carl Sagan, "the total number of stars in the universe is larger than all the grains of sand on all the beaches of the planet."
He is my star and the chances of meeting him was a one in a million........ ✨️ ⭐️💫
Hey Judith. What a beautiful story. I love that Hale-Bopp became part of your beginning together. Carl Sagan’s quote never fails to fill me with awe. Here’s to extraordinary odds of finding our one star among so many. X
Amazing essay, Claire. Thank you for sharing your love story with us. So many adventures. I do believe that your attitude and perspective on the world also contribute to the health of a 30-year marriage.
Thank you. I think you’re right. Curiosity has probably held us together as much as anything. We’ve never stopped looking outward, and somehow that keeps us finding new things in each other. X
Sometimes, one is lucky enough to meet their person early on. And it sounds like you have both grown together individually and as a couple. You are an inspiration!
What a beautiful acknowledgement of thirty good years. I think sometimes kindred spirits recognise each other even before real life catches up. Spirits twining in the air, or if one believes in reincarnation, perhaps in another life your were two souls linked together and so it shall be into infinity.
I've been married for 50 years to a man who consistently says that the meaning of life, the universe and everything is 42. We literally saw each other across a crowded office and that was it - not love at first sight but perhaps in the distance, a whisper of a Divine harmony. We instantly felt at home, as if we'd known each other forever in times past.
So your post reminded me of much and thanks for the memories.
PS: Also thank you for mentioning the Night Sky app. We walk in the clearest nights with few outdoor lights and I'm forever leaning against my husband, looking up and saying I wish I knew which was what.
Fifty years together is a beautiful testament to finding home in another person. I love the thought that some souls recognise each other long before life catches up with them.
42 is the magic number! I hope the Night Sky app adds a little extra magic to your evening walks. We love it. There’s something rather wonderful about learning the names of the stars beneath the same sky you’ve shared for so many years. Thank you so much for reading Prue. Tons of love ❤️ X
Fateflickers is such a wonderful way to describe those moments. This was thoroughly absorbing from start to finish - thank you ✨
Fateflickers is such a wonderful way to describe those moments. This was thoroughly absorbing from start to finish - thank you ✨
Thank you so much. I’m rather fond of fateflickers too. I love the idea that life is stitched together by those tiny moments that only reveal their meaning when we look back. X
What a beautiful love story. 🤍 I especially loved your idea that our lives are like constellations. That feels so true of marriage, motherhood, and life itself. Thank you for sharing such a tender piece. ✨
Thank you so much. I think that’s exactly it. We only really see the shape of our lives when we look back and join the dots. I’m so glad it resonated with you. ✨ X
Such a wonderful read Claire, your words and stories hold so much depth and beauty 🩵 I was pregnant with my son when that comet graced our skies. It’s lovely you have seen the stars of the southern hemisphere. I don’t think I will manage to do that, but who knows?!
Thank you so much, Claire. I love that your son arrived with a comet overhead. What a wonderful beginning to a story. Who knows, perhaps the southern stars are quietly waiting for your turn. ✨ X
Aw Claire, this was so beautiful and heartwarming, and perfectly describing the life of two young lovers making a go of things. I loved this:
“Nobody writes sonnets about hormonal temperature regulation. Perhaps they should. Perhaps I should!”
Seriously, you write so well. You draw me right in and one minute I’m sentimental and the next I’m chuckling. Beautiful.
Just so you know, my husband and I had the same across the room moment. Except we didn’t meet for three more months- and yet we could remember what each other had been wearing that first time. Your married life and your opposites sound like my husband and I. Our division of physical and emotional labour is handled the same as yours. One day I’d love to meet and sit with a cup of tea and natter on about the subjects we both seem drawn to 😊🫶
Thank you Kathie, so glad you enjoyed it. I love that you and your husband had your own "across the room" moment. Those tiny beginnings somehow become the biggest stories of our lives. Indeed, I do think we'd happily lose a few afternoons over a pot of tea or two, talking about all the little things that make up a life. I have a feeling we'd never run out of conversation. X
I’d agree about that last bit 🫶
A beautiful essay about relationship longevity and the magic of ordinary moments.
Thank you X
What an amazing writer you are you captured it beautifully - you are very fortunate - count your lucky stars!
Thank you so much Betty. I’ll certainly be looking up at the stars a little differently this week. X
Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful
Aww thank you so much Gillian. I’m so glad you liked it. X
Claire, this was absolutely stunning to read. The way you wove together stories, starlight, and all the small moments that make up a life really moved me. There’s something magical about how you capture both the extraordinary and the ordinary, reminding us that the real miracles are in the quiet, everyday ways we choose each other again and again. Your writing makes me want to pause and look up at the sky, to remember the constellations of my own life and how they’ve slowly taken shape. Thank you for sharing your story with such warmth and honesty. It’s a gift.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it and that the story found you. That’s what I hoped for: the ordinary and the extraordinary sitting side by side, and the small moments doing most of the work. All such a long time ago now! I really appreciate you taking the time to read it. X
What a beautiful memory conveyed through the constellations, vowels, and consonants within your lived stream of time. I'm glad you and your husband found your way to each other as so many walk amongst the stars in singular solace.
Precious story