It's here at last! The long-awaited day! So it's definitely time for an 11 themed post.
What does 11 mean to me? So many things, it turns out.
My love affair with the number 11 began when I was 15, in the front hall of the Main House, when Craig pointed to a picture of Tim Naehring, #11, of the Boston Red Sox and said "Have you heard of this guy?" That was all it took. Naehring was my hero, and 11 was my favorite number.
Since that time, the number has only grown in significance.
It symbolizes my youthful passion, and now somewhat more stayed, though still-deeply loyal, love for the Red Sox. I remember those countless games listened to on the radio while I finished math homework, and my first visit to Fenway in '96, with that first glimpse of the green grass in the park. I remember watching the All Star game at Fairview with Grandpa Murray. I remember crying when they got knocked out of the play-offs in '95 and '99. I remember the numb devastation of '03, and the miracle of '04 ("Then our mouth was filled with laughter And our tongue with joyful shouting; Then they said among the nations, "The LORD has done great things for them." - Ps 126). 11 is the Red Sox.
11 is also friendship. It is my friendship with Craig, of course, and over the years we've exchanged many greetings on 11/11 days and at 11:11. But it's also my friendship with others, countless others, who have told me that they think of me at 11:11. 11 is the reminder that I "count myself in nothing else so happy as in a soul remembering my good friends." - Shakespeare
11 is also my family. Several family members pray for me when they see 11:11 on the clock. 11 is their love for me, and the amazing way that they have loved me completely for all these years, even with my strange 11 fetish type quirks. 11 is their unconditional acceptance of me.
11 is also my students. Several of them know that 11 is my favorite number, and this reminds me of how much I've shared with them and they with me over the years. 11 is many special bonds I've formed, and how much more teaching has given me than I ever dreamed possible.
11 is trust in God. I thought it would be pretty cool to get married on 11/11/11, but I'm fine with the fact that this isn't my wedding day after all because I trust in God and His good plan for my life.
11 is a chance to celebrate! Now that it's here at last I am going to celebrate my friendships and my family and my Father... by going to Boston with Kimberly to swing by Fenway and then visit the MFA! Not a bad Plan B to a wedding, if I do say so myself (and much cheaper!) :)
Happy 11/11/11 Day Everyone!!!
