One thing I like about writing in a blog is that it's like having an online personal journal. You can just express thoughts for others to read. While my blog is slightly private, I still enjoy recording stuff. Well, this is an event that took place in my vacation. I initially wanted to write this in my other blog but I felt that it is more appropriate here.
So I reach my homeland and my wife is irked at me. I took too long to arrive to her town and it was also bad planning on my part. Let's be honest, we both had our failings. My wife could've simply said she was sick and our daughter was sick and we need your presence. I could've just simple took a bus ride earlier. All that said and done, I arrived and my wife wouldn't speak a word at me. It also happened that we needed to take Julia, our daughter, to the doctor. She's been suffering a fever and a rash on her left shoulder. So, as parents, we took her to the doctor. I, of course, having been quiet all the way through. I never said a word or spoke long for at least 3 days. Even at night, I slept in a separate room. Although my wife did ask me to sleep in the same bed, I left hours later due to the extreme cold from the AC window unit. I didn't want to rob my wife and daughter of their blanket so I left the room and moved to the next one which was warmer.
My daughter did not recognize me. She was afraid of me, even. It was understandable, I said. It's better for her to fear her father anyways, I thought. It took three days before she got used to me. It was on her birthday when she realized she could deal with me. On that third day, her birthday, we (my mother, uncle and I) attended Mass in the morning. Initially, I was just planning to visit Church to greet our Blessed Mother a happy birthday. I guess you can say she interceded for me and had me do something special on her birthday. An old lady from the church approached us and asked if we could do the offering. We obviously agreed. I held the wine and water and marched it up to the altar. I believe that that moment was used so I could offer my daughter to God knowing that it's what I wanted to do. It could also have been everything I went through. On a sidenote, my wife and I are unequally yoked when it came to religion. Even though we share the same religion, our level of spirituality was astronomically unequal (well, maybe astronomical is too strong a word but you get the idea). It came to mind that I should accept this. I did and it was quite liberating. At the same time, I also have hope that one day she can meet my level at least in prayer. Anyway, that offering was very symbolic for me and I held back my tears as the Mass progressed. Anyway, later that day, my daughter started to warm up to me. She started playing near me. She was no longer afraid and we started playing together. She still had apprehensions when I carried her but that waned as days passed. I began to be her playmate. I was her towel boy during bath time; I made her milk, gave it to her and put her to sleep; I was the garbage man when she pooped (I need to work on my diaper changing ability); I was her walker. This is what it means to love, I thought to myself. God gives us children so we have an opportunity to love as God loves.
My relationship with my wife was repaired as well... I give credit to the Blessed Mother for her intercession. I was able to share some of my ToB knowledge in a digestible package to my wife. Sadly, there were not enough days as I would've given her more practical packages she can digest. Oh well, at least I was able to give some ToB mini-lectures in the form of night time pillow talk. Accepting the difference in our spirituality was very liberating. In the back of my mind, I recall that the prayers of a righteous spouse is efficacious or edifying. (1 Cor 7:14; James 5: 16) It gave me peace in my mind and soul at least. I forgot to mention, I also let her read the section on Manicheaism from the book I was reading, Theology of the Body Explained. I kept repeating to her that the body is good although we abstained from the one flesh union during my stay there. A lot of people, including her family, could not believe it.
When it was time to leave, I cried. I'm still feeling tearful as I write this. I've uploaded the images in Friendster for my family to see and Flickr for "some" people to see.
It's not over. It's just the beginning actually. My birthday wish to my daughter is that she can be all she can be as God wants her to be. My prayers to my wife as always. I have never stopped praying for her and it won't ever stop now.
That ends a small chapter in my life. One of the great milestones that some people have already experience and some are about to experience. Life is precious.
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