Second Anniversary, squared

I like to say that today is the second anniversary of our second anniversary. I like the way that sounds, though it’s more accurate to say it’s the second of our other anniversary. See? That sounds much too mercantile.

Two years ago today, on a blisteringly hot Saturday afternoon, Nigel and I had our civil union ceremony and became, legally, a couple under New Zealand law—married in nearly every way but name. So, today is the second anniversary of our civil union.

However, we always used to celebrate November 2, the day I arrived in New Zealand to stay, as our anniversary, and we’d had 13 of them by the time we had our civil union. So, January 24, our civil union ceremony day, was sort of our “other anniversary”, or, a “second anniversary” which makes today our second anniversary of our second anniversary.

This sounds like a lot of words and a round about way to describe a very simple thing, doesn’t it? I agree: The New Zealand government should just allow same sex couples to be married like the opposite-sex couples among our friends and family members.

But today, we really are celebrating our Second Anniversary, squared. I mean, why not?