Long Holiday

After a crazy quarter, it has been such a relief to come down to Texas and spend the holidays with my family in Plano and Mark's family down in Houston. Over the past few days, we have driven for roughly twenty-six hours and have about sixteen more to go. Christmas Day saw us going from a morning celebration with my family to an evening celebration with Mark's. As hectic as it got, this long holiday has been a blessing in so many ways. We were both happy to be able to spend time with each other and enjoy the company of our families. Our families, by the way, are fantastic. They have raised, supported, and prayed for us especially now as we prepare for marriage.

While we were busy spending time with our families, we also were engaged in finishing our marriage preparation through the Catholic Church. Over the five years and however many couple of months we have been together, Mark and I knew that being married in the Catholic Church would be essential for both of us. Doing this requires a lot of work and coordination, especially since I have been in Chicago. The work is well worth it, however, as our talks with priests and our sponsor couple have helped us to grow together and understand the sacrament that we have decided to undertake.

During these last few days, we completed our meetings with a sponsor couple. The couple (who turned out to be the parents of an old friend from Prince of Peace) took us through a survey which we had taken last summer that covered a range of important topics for couples to discuss. They gave us a space to talk with each other about these issues, and were able to offer advice based on what they heard. It was an invaluable experience. I encourage everyone to do a program like this, whether it is an Engaged Encounter retreat, pre-marital counseling with a licensed therapist, a talk with your pastor, or what have you because I think it provides couples with so many benefits.

As Mark and I shuttled between families and cities this week, it was impossible not to think about how we would become part of each other's families. The ring that Mark gave me when he proposed is a family ring. If you know me, you know that these kinds of things are very near and dear to my heart. To have something that is connected to a story, that represents a union between families across time, and that will continue down the family line is a dream come true for me. Hearing stories from Mark's mother and her brother and sisters about how the ring was selected, the love that they witnessed between their mother and father, and how much they cherish the memories that they associate with the ring fills my heart with joy and hope that our children will one day have similar stories. Elegant, timeless, and sensible, it is a constant reminder of the great love that came before ours and had a hand in creating our families.

I'm not one for obsessive countdowns, but as this year ends and a new one begins, we stand less than four months away from being married. Like our relationship, our engagement has been long. After becoming engaged following four years of dating, we decided to wait a year and a half before getting married. Such a wait allowed me to settle into my grad school routine, gave Mark a chance to begin his career after graduating, and let us take the necessary time to prepare ourselves for marriage within the Catholic Church. I am so excited for what is to come! I can't say all of this without saying congratulations to all of those getting engaged this year, from Baylor seniors getting their rings by spring to graduated Crane Scholars! Know that you are all in our prayers as you begin your journey toward marriage.

All in all, it has been one amazing long holiday. It's time for me to return to Chicago, but not before I watch this bowl game! Sic 'em Bears!