Mason's Christening Day

Yesterday was a special day for our family. An emotional day. An important day. It was the start of a beautiful journey for one family member and the beginning of a sad journey for another. It was one of those days that's filled with so many different emotions you don't even know what to feel.

 
We baptized our sweet Mason and celebrated his becoming a member of the Catholic faith. As parents, we were so proud and filled with so much love and joy for our son. At the same time, this was a bittersweet celebration. The Baptism was in the hospital, because Alex's father is sick. Very sick. None of us know how much time we all have left together and it was critically important to us that Papa be there. If he couldn't come to the Christening, we were determined to bring it to him.

 

It was a very small group, only me and Alex, his parents, Mason's Godparents and our priest. What I thought may turn out to be a very sad event, turned out to be so incredibly wonderful - filled with laughs and joyful hearts. It is a moment I know we will treasure forever. I know Mason will be warmed with the memory that his Christening was extra special, because Papa was there.

 

 

At bedtime, Royce and I finished reading Charlotte's Web by E.B. White. He brought it home from the school library last week and we've been reading a few chapters each night. It was my favorite book as a child, so I was especially touched that he chose it. I had a very hard time holding back my emotion reading the last few pages, the subject matter is so timely for what we are going through as a family.

"Charlotte's children and grandchildren and great grandchildren, year after year, lived in the doorway. Each spring there were new little spiders hatching out to take the place of the old."

I really didn't want Royce to know I was crying, so I just tried to breathe and read slowly, but he knew what was going on. After I finished the last sentence he said, "Mom, are you crying?" I told him I was and that I was feeling sad. He sat up in bed and gave me a big hug. I told him I was sad about Papa and we both cried together.

He knows Papa is very sick with cancer, but we have not discussed anything further. However, children are so intuitive, and, without saying a word, I got the feeling he understands our time is limited. We talked about the importance of being good to people.

 
It was an emotional day, but a surprising one as well. I learned that there can still be moments of glorious joy even when surrounded by deep sadness. I learned that we should allow ourselves to feel the joy, because our moments together are all too fleeting.