Today’s celebrations

Reading my weblog you might be tempted to think that I spend my life in front of a computer screen, because all I tend to blog about connects to the net. But today has actually been about wonderful celebrations that aren’t “net-ful” at all.

Our youngest son celebrated his first communion. (There is a short video of him reading a prayer during the service up on the web, but you have to download, it doesn't open up just by clicking on it.) And Eric and I marked our 18th wedding anniversary.

I can't get the paper I wrote about our wedding to open -- the joy of long-lost word processing programs (I used to use WriteNow) -- but I managed to find at least our vows. Here's what I promised, 18 years ago, when I told Eric that I loved him in front of our gathered community:

Before God and this community I promise
That I will be honest with you,
That I will share with you who I am and who I am becoming,
That I will respect you and celebrate the ways you are different from me,
That I will care for you always,
That I will seek your forgiveness when we fail to live up to our shared covenant,
And that I will dream with you and work with you to make those dreams come true.

I have to admit that 18 years feels like it was a long time ago, but the time has passed so quickly that it's hard to imagine it's been that long. Being married is not easy, in fact I think it's probably the hardest thing I've ever tried to do. But it is also an amazing journey for which I deeply grateful.

Repeating our baptismal vows today (a standard part of the First Eucharist liturgy), reminded me of the reality that we could not have remained married had it not been for the faith and support of communities around us (and particularly, in the last few years, the marriage ministry of IHM). I'm so grateful for these communities, and so pleased that our youngest could mark this moment in his faith journey in the midst of a community like that of IHM.