Our Faith and faith in each other.

Every year our church has distributed a little booklet during Advent and Lent.  Each day there's a little historical article and also an article that presents a short extract from one of the readings for the upcoming Sunday.  Gwen and I enjoyed these, and each night, including her last year, I would read what was presented that day, and then we would discuss it.  As far as faith was concerned, Gwen did not easily suffer fools.  She had a keen ability to separate what was "man made" from what spiritual and meaningful.

In addition to our faith in each other and the miracle of the love we shared, we also maintained a strong religious faith.  Early in our relationship this was particularly true; it's a large part of what drew us to each other.  Gwen had attended a parochial school through grade 8, and I had served for one year as president of the Newman Club, a Catholic organization on campus at  NMU.  We were not bashful about discussing the role our faith played in our relationship.  That was a far different time than now.  As I've talked about elsewhere in my blog, we were strongly physically attracted, and it wasn't easy keeping our hands off each other.  Yet, we persevered, and found enjoyment in living the best way we could.  Going to Mass together each Sunday morning was a highlight of each weekend.  During our first year of marriage when we lived in Ann Arbor we continued to enjoy attending services together on Sunday morning and then going to a favorite little restaurant we discovered where the best grilled caramel-pecan rolls we had ever eaten were served.

Tonight, Dear,  it seems important for me to talk not only about the miracle of our love, but also the Faith we shared.  You aren't with me this this Advent, but each  night in bed I still read the Little Blue Book to you; out loud.  You feel nearer then. All day today I've had an image of you all dressed up for Midnight Mass at St. Mary's in Gaastra. Some of it was stepping outside into the clear -20 degree night, but it was always your beauty that took away my breath.   That came full circle on the night you died when we were blessed with the opportunity to make you once again beautiful.  I'm not sure if any of this makes any sense to anyone but you and me, but tonight I needed to write it.