The Significance of All Saint’s Day

Today is Friday, November 1, 2024

Denny and I were married on All Saint’s Day November 1, 1980, in the Episcopal Cathedral in Laramie, Wyoming. Next to me on my left is my maid of honor, lifetime friend Donna Leiber, and to the side of her, my two sisters Lorie and Connie. Look at that handsome Denny. He was so excited he got to wear a tuxedo with tails! But I digress…. Today, November 1, 2024, is All Saints Day. But I don’t think I have EVER thought on November 1st of ANY year, “Oh, November 1st! It’s All Saint’s Day! I need to celebrate!” Instead, I would normally have plans to celebrate our wedding anniversary instead. But since Denny isn’t here, it of course wasn’t on my radar. But daughter Teresa sent a thoughtful text this morning reminding me of the significance of the date. And my childhood friend and Maid of Honor at my wedding, Donna Leiber, communicated today, knowing the day might be hard for me. So sweet. So on my evening walk that I just now came home from, it occurred to me that I had some thoughts to process about it all, and what better way to process than through this blog! So here we go…

Four-Fold Significance

You may just think of November 1st as “All Saint’s Day”, but in my mind it has FOUR-FOLD significance. First, well, it’s the national holiday of All Saint’s Day, and I appreciated studying its significance today, since I don’t think I have ever really studied it to find out what it is all about! Secondly, Denny and I would have been married 44 years on this date! Thirdly, I also like November 1st now because it makes me think of my favorite saint, sweet Dennis Hitchcock, and his legacy of faith to my children and me. Fourthly, it is all rather funny that I like ANY holiday, since my funny husband decided holidays perhaps should not be celebrated! So indulge me while a tell you about all of that. Here we go…

1. All Saint’s Day

A quick look on the internet shows me that the origin of All Saints’ Day “can be traced back to the early Christian Church when it was established as a day to remember and celebrate the martyrs and other saints who had died for their faith,” states Christianity.com. The article I found continued: “Over time, the scope of the holiday expanded to include martyrs and all faithful Christians who had lived pious and virtuous lives. It is a day to recognize the saints’ collective witness and express gratitude for their example.” I like that. So that is a nice segue into the rest of the blog post, for I see Denny as a “saint” (see more about that in #3 below!)…

2. Anniversary of my marriage to Dennis Hitchcock: November 1, 1980.

We would have been married 44 years!

So let me tell you how I feel today. I am not sobbing in a corner. I am grateful for the years with Denny, the life we had together and the wonderful children who came forth from our union. I am grateful that both of us loved God, life, family, and music…and also loved the five little doggies who graced our life throughout our time together, bringing much joy to our whole family.

I miss Denny as the entertainment coordinator and history teacher.
He would find this point in time quite interesting politically and historically and would have lots to say on matters.

I also miss that he isn’t with me in my new church.
He would love the teaching there, would love the camaraderie with the men in that church.

And my house is awfully quiet.
Denny would have the music going,
because he would want to be teaching me something.
I really should turn on more music and learn more on my own.
Maybe I will be more intentional about that this winter.

So, yes, I do miss him greatly. I’m learning to busy my mind with this blog, with reading, with new pursuits in my church, etc. But I know God has a purpose for this time in my life by myself; He has something to teach me Himself, and I welcome His instruction. I’m grateful Denny isn’t here–as he was in those last days–sick, dealing with the awful lung problems, hernias, mental changes. I find great joy thinking of him in heaven, worry-free, healthy, and among the saints. I do look forward to joining him in God’s good timing. And I treasure memories brought up by looking at the pictures of Denny as a younger man–such a handsome, bright, funny, romantic, joyful man! I am grateful for 43 years with that sweet soul!

3. My Favorite “Saint” – Dennis Hitchcock, and his Legacy of Faith

When the Bible talks about saints, it is referring to a believer in Christ. Every follower of Jesus Christ is considered a saint, since “Saint” is derived from the Greek word hagios, which means “holy” or “consecrated to God”. In the Bible, 1st Corinthians 1:2 is addressed to “those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ”.

So Denny was in that grouping. Denny and I both came to the same understanding of the importance of Jesus in our early marriage. I was having some difficulties with singing during that time (I used to be a singer. But I’m not now, for sure! My voice is pitiful!). So Denny encouraged me to go to lunch with our new pastor’s wife, who was also a singer, thinking she could help me. So, after said lunch, the pastor’s wife wanted to have a meeting with both Denny and me and her husband, the pastor. We went out to dinner with them, and following the dinner, they took us back to the chapel and prayed for us both.

I didn’t get my voice back, but somehow it didn’t matter anymore. Denny and I both, all of the sudden, had a huge hunger for studying the Bible. We couldn’t get enough of it, reading voraciously and excited as to what we were learning. Denny’s faith and guidance and Bible teaching supported me and my children throughout our years together. I treasure those memories, as do the kids. I pray we all continue to grow in our faith, as Denny would have hoped and for which he would have fervently prayed.

4. Holidays: and why Denny thought we shouldn’t celebrate them

Denny never made a big deal about holidays, birthdays, etc. In fact he discouraged it, since he felt EVERY day was a day to celebrate and that holidays just weren’t necessary. He felt the holidays got people too focused on materialism–thinking one needed to buy presents for every occasion. He felt the “holidays” and “birthdays” and all were commercial, not godly. I respect what he was thinking. Having gone through life with him, I did find that I didn’t “fret” as much about events, worrying about presents and all for the most part, due to his influence. I think I am “more chill” on all of that than I had been pre-Denny.

But I do like the “special days”, because they are usually times where family comes together, and I treasure that most of all. But no family members tend to want to get together to celebrate All Saints Day! Huh. Go figure. Maybe I’ll make a point to celebrate it next year. I’ll invite the neighbors and have a wingding!

WRAPPING IT ALL UP

So I am thankful. First of all, I am thankful that MY mind is working and that I HAVE a memory (though it seems to be in decline a bit. Yipes.) Secondly, I am thankful for all that Denny was to me and to the kids. I treasure all the memories captured in pictures lining my hallway. I’m thankful for daughter Teresa starting this blog. And I am thankful I urged myself to write this particular blog post, since it has made me remember what DENNY would be wanting me to do now–would want me continuing to learn.

So I will start watching historical shows, I will start playing classical music pieces that I want to know better. I think I’ll even go over and surprise Denny’s niece Sarah and have her teach me some art history! And in Denny’s honor, I made some beef stew that will slow-cook in the crockpot tomorrow. He loved that. That aroma will remind me of him all day tomorrow.