July 19 was a very special day for our family. Friends and family gathered from near and far far and wide to celebrate the baptism of Alex, Avery, and Adam. (We don’t have anyone who lives “near.”) I’ve always felt a bit guilty about not getting myself organized and motivated enough to have had the twins done when they were babies. Choosing godparents was enough to drive me crazy because of the Church’s rules about one godparent being Catholic and our lack of male Catholic friends, coupled with an age requirement that allowed Aunt Lauren to be a godmother now, but not when the twins were babies. Poor Aunt Hailey was still shut out due to her age. Better late than never, though. Baptism was important to me not necessarily because I believe everything the Catholic church espouses, but because I think religious education is an excellent foundation for becoming a good person – one who makes the right choices when it comes to treating others kindly. I know I am far from perfect, but I do believe my years in Catholic school shaped me to be a person who looks for what’s on the inside, is tolerant, and respects others. I hope their baptism will be the beginning of a similar experience for my children.
It was a beautiful day and the kids looked adorable… angelic, even… dressed in their white outfits.
We gathered in the little white chapel of St. Michael’s Poplar Springs and were immediately taken with the intimacy the small venue provided. Deacon Harbe spoke for a while about the history of the parish as we waited for everyone to arrive, and then the celebration began. The twins were really great about sitting quietly and mostly paying attention, even if they didn’t understand everything (anything?) that was going on. Adam, on the other hand, was all over the place. The baptism took place smack in the middle of naptime, which made him even harder to deal with. He was not the most pious toddler, making me chase him into the office area, climbing all over the altar area, falling off the step in front of the altar and crying, and generally being crazy. All that kept going through my head as I chased him was, “I hope God has a sense of humor!”
When the time came for the Holy Water, we carried each child up individually. Adam was first because he was already up at the altar.
Joined by his godparents, his 2 Aunt Staceys, at the baptismal font, he wasn’t phased at all by having the water poured on his head. Have I mentioned before what an easygoing kid he is?
Next it was Alex’s turn, and he also did really well.
Don held him and his godparents, Uncle James and Aunt Jen looked on as he received the sacrament.
Next it was Avery’s turn, and she was in tears before we ever got her up front.
She’s the kind of kid who gets super shy when she knows she has attention focused on her, so to be in front of a room full of people, with some guy she didn’t know about to pour water over her head, was just too much for her. Adding to that, we later found out, she had somehow gotten nursemaid’s elbow again at some point earlier during the ceremony, so her arm hurt and she couldn’t move it. Aunt Lauren and Uncle Bill stood with us for their godchild, and we got her done as quickly as possible. Thankfully Aunt Stacey knew how to reduce her elbow and get everything back into place, and that was taken care of quickly.
When the ceremony was over, we traveled back to Casa Kitchen for burgers, hot dogs, and lots of time for everyone to socialize. I was struck that day by how blessed Don and I, and Alex, Avery and Adam, are. Our families are small but close-knit, and our friends are amazing. They love us all so much, and it just felt really good to know everyone had come together to show their commitment to our children. Thank you to all of you who joined us that day. We love you all.
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