I Do Every Day

To my son Tommy,

Four years ago to the day, I said two little words that committed me to one of the greatest journeys of my life.  I call it a journey even though there is no final destination, no end game.  When you get in a car for a journey, you usually have a set time and set location when that type of journey will end.  With marriage there is no set time limit or some place you have to get to.  Here the journey itself is the ultimate goal and it will continue every day of our lives.  The journey of marriage is filled with growing and changing and learning and constantly working at being the best spouse you can be.  Just because you love someone with all your heart doesn't mean you no longer have to work at being married, it just means the labor is quite literally a labor of love.

One of the coolest things (Besides being married to an awesome woman, wife, mother, person, etc) is that we said "I Do" right around the corner at our current church.  This means every day I go to mass I can see with my mind's eye right where your mother and I began our covenant together in the presence of God's grace.  This morning at mass I sat there and thought of our wedding day.  I can see the simple and elegant candle in each window of the church.  I can imagine me looking something like a fat penguin up at the altar watching my beautiful bride walk down the aisle.  I remember the dark brown color for our wedding that I should know as "espresso" brown or some other more descriptive color name.  I see my bride and the tiara she wore still sparkles in my mind over a bouquet of red and maybe some cream or white colored flowers in there too.  I remember my face hurting that day because I had the biggest smile throughout the ceremony thinking "This is it, I am officially the luckiest man in the world".  I can look at the pews and picture family and friends and still recall the feeling of warmth, love, and good wishes emanating from them.  I picture all three priests Father Cummings (now Monsignor), Father Collins (now Monsignor), and Father McGovern on the altar. Yes we used three priests, had to make sure it stuck.  I remember Father Cummings' homily on "the right order of events" and how nothing in the world could bother me that day because I was getting married to the woman of my dreams.  I look over to the statue of Mary and Joseph and think of your mother kneeling there as her Uncle Mark sang Ave Maria.  And I remember the kiss and if I close my eyes when I approach the altar I can still feel that indescribable moment.

Every day I attend mass I can go and remember and recall and relive this moment in my life.  If marriage or life get a bit difficult that week, I am just a few blocks away from a constant reminder of the hope and love that filled me that day.  That hope and love is there inside me for the rest of my life and the every day I get to say and affirm it one more time... I Do!

Sincerely with love from your dad,
Leo