Sometime last week, one of my elder sisters marked her 10th wedding anniversary.
It called for celebration indeed and then a big question ensued in the process; “what is 10th anniversary called?” Until that time, I have never looked up the names of anniversaries other than the typically known ones like 25th (Silver jubilee), 50th (Golden Jubilee) and 75th (Platinum Jubilee).
I went on to look up the names of other anniversaries, especially those below 25th and I was inspired by what I found.
I found that 5th anniversary is called Wooden Anniversary, 10th anniversary is called Tin (Aluminum), 15th anniversary is called Crystal, 20th is China (Like those China plates of those days), 30th is Pearl, 40th is called Ruby, 50th Gold, 60th Diamond, 70th is called Platinum while 80th is Oak.
Some of them made me laugh initially. Like saying, “Happy Tin Anniversary” to my sister but after I mulled over it, I saw every sense in the various meanings of anniversaries.
The 5th anniversary is called Wooden anniversary and in my thinking, wood symbolizes an ongoing building.
For example, if you have been in a relationship with someone for up to 5 years, I guess the pathway of where you are both headed should be clear. Coasting and dilly-dallying should be done away with. It means the foundation of such a relationship should have been laid and building materials in place to construct something that would last.
10th anniversary is called Tin (Aluminum). When I think of Tin, what readily comes to my mind is a roofing sheet!
For example, if you have been in a career up to 10 years, you should be fully established in it. You should be a well-rounded professional and seasoned in the field. An employer will not recruit someone who has graduated up to 10 years for graduate entry role. It is expected that a resume that speaks 10 years should be ready for an executive position or more. The building should have a roof (safety and stability) at this stage even if the finishing is not ready.
15th is crystal. I will readily associate crystal for a beautiful finishing,
just like chandeliers and those beautiful crystals balls used in interior decoration.
I presume that life expects that if you have been on a path for up to 15 years, you should have moved beyond trying to lay the foundation and setting up a structure to be well established and known. You should be able to stand out as a crystal and add colour to your space. If you have built something strong for up to 15 years, it should have a glow. The crystal balls should be beaming light and illuminating the pathways for others to lead.
The higher we go, the more refined and polished we are expected to become; like a refined silver at 25, precious ruby at 40, pure gold at 50, precious platinum at 70, a thick Oak at 80…
But the big question that gnawed at me while I pondered on this subject is; “what if we have built on a wrong foundation?”
One of the standing principles that I live by as taught by my father, Rev. Olusola Areogun is to, “First, get it right, and get better at it”.
Between the 1st to the 5th year of anything we chose to invest our time in, we must settle the issue of conviction. Once convinced of the path, it will then make sense to begin to lay the foundation and commence building.
On a brighter side, the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago and another best time is today! It is never too late to rebuild.
If you have gotten it right, then begin to lay a deep foundation. At five, be sure to have cleared the field and building materials in place. At 10, the building should have been roofed. At 15, the crystals should be shining bright. At 20, the durability of your building should have passed the test of quality. The gates should be lined with silver at 25 and should be pitched high in gold at 50.
Our beloved Nigeria is one year shy of hitting Diamond. I guess one of the reasons for our outrage is because our dear Nigeria is not having the outlook of a diamond today. The foundational national values we are still grappling with should have been settled decades ago if indeed we started building 59 years ago! I am hopeful that we will get it right someday.
Whatever legacy we have built should be transferred to coming generation such that even when we are long gone, the impact should be as strong and as far-reaching as an Oak Tree by the time it hits 80 if Christ tarry!
As we mark anniversaries through our lifetime, we need to keep in view the ultimate anniversary that will be marked in eternity and the determinant of our eternal destination is dependent on the kind of material we built with on earth!
