Baptism and FIRE

In the beginning God made Man. Let’s call him Adam. God then he decided that without a Woman to order him around to carefully guide him with his life choices - man would seem insignificant in this world. So God created Eve – otherwise known as the first Mother/Wife figure that we supposedly all stem from.

Loose biblical ramblings, I know. But what better way to start my collection of words than with a bit of memory jogging for all my friends out there as I launch into my own little story.

I am lost for words. Well, no. Not exactly. We have just had a momentous event occur in our little family and it was such a big deal that I am still trying to reel in all the feelings and emotions I have laying scattered all over my head and heart in the hopes that I can convey exactly how it went down and how much family, love, fun and friendship swaddled our home for this special day.

So back to the Bible. It is all about the Mother. I love my mother. She has been telling me what to do with my life loving me for more than (cough cough) 30 years now and may have finally forgiven me for causing that 3 day breech birth experience I gave her.

She likes to tell me what to do loves me, and now that she has taken on the role of educational liaison for our children so I can sit around all day at NUIG drinking yummy Chai Latte’s with my galpals follow my dream of going to college, I am constantly feeling like I ‘owe’ her. I mean, how can you repay someone for raising your children?

She started a few months ago with the nagging nudging. Small hints, a few prayer books laying around and some ‘learned by heart’ bedtime prayers.  Several trips with the kids to visit ‘Mary’ at the grotto during the month of May might have been a deal breaker for some kids, but instead they looked forward to the whole social aspect of it from the attention (and sweets) all Granny’s church friends gave them. The only thing wrong with this picture is that they were little heathen grandkids.

Would I not consider having them baptized?

Being married to a man that was never baptized and living a fine existence despite that, gave me no reason to worry about how the kids would fair out. I am not a big church goer myself so standing up infront of the church and making a promise to God and the congregation that I would raise them in the Catholic Church etc. well, that would just be hypocritical. I am not a catho-fake.

Talks were had, tears were shed, and voices were raised. Without my husband standing firmly by my side, I was not ‘into-it’ and as he and I have stuck together through everything else we have done in our life together, I felt no urge to ‘go it alone’. Leaving my Mum’s house heavy hearted, I hated that I could not ‘give her what she wanted’.

A 3 second phone call from Granny later that day changed the kid’s lives forever. ‘Well, what if I were to sponsor them and make the promise to God on behalf of you and Ron?’ (Says Mum to me).  ‘Eh, I dunno, let me phone the Chef and ask him how he feels about that’ (say I to my Mother). ‘Honey, Catherine can do whatever she wants with the kids’. (Says the man that I love).

Exorcisms were preformed, heads were blessed and even the heathen Chef answered all the questions correctly as we celebrated the children’s baptism. On a side note to any Mum out there, baptizing older children is a waaaaay cool experience for the children. They very much understood what was going on and methinks that the other sacraments they receive later in life (if they so choose) will be very spiritual for them.

The story could actually be written at book length. I trawled through all the photos from the family fun this past weekend and have decided that it is the photos that will tell the story.  No WiseWords needed to describe the flavours of the fabulous food or the loving laughter that lingers in the house this morning as I try to throw these words on a page for your reading pleasure.

Friends became family and family became friends. The Godparents we have chosen are as important to us and our family, well, as family itself.

For the family members (CA and Sylvia) that could not be there, we miss you terribly and hope that you can come to see us very soon.

Those are all the WiseWords I have for today,

WiseMóna

P.S.  - To the Godparents of our Children. Ron and I (and Granny) love you from the bottom of our hearts.
Thank you, for all the help and love. Now, and forever.