I sent this email out to family who were invited over the internet to explain why Tony and I are having this ceremony this weekend. My sister suggested that I post it on my blog, so here it is:
I suppose that this little update is long overdue.
A few weeks ago I sent out an evite to a Reaffirmation of Wedding Vows. ( http://www.americangreetings.com/inv/view.pd?i=1187986&m=7230&e=118835&source=ag999 ) I believe this might need a little bit of explaining, as some may not even realize that I am married and those who are aware may note that I probably haven't been married long enough to think about renewing vows. So, I would like to explain the importance of this ceremony as well as a little history behind it.
I met Jose Antonio Alvarez, AKA Tony, on June 14th of 2004. I was teaching music for the Army Chapel's Vacation Bible School program, and Tony was "volun-told" to be my assistant. About a month later, we were engaged. We assured both of our families that we were not crazy or trying to rush into anything. Tony was scheduled to be sent to Iraq at the end of the year, and we were planning to get hitched upon his return. Well, by November, we started to change our minds, and on November 24th of 2004 we were joined together in an intimate ceremony at the very chapel where we had met only months before. Because the ceremony was planned so last minute, only a few of my close family members as well as Tony's platoon were able to attend. Even so, the people who were there made the ceremony special to us.
Tony was sent to Iraq on January 11th of 2005. It was hard for both of us, as newlyweds, to be apart for so long, but God, and our families, took care of us both. One of Tony's jobs in Iraq at the beginning of the tour was to work in the internet/phone cafe, and as a result, we were able to talk almost everyday. The experience gave me a greater appreciation for military spouses who lived through earlier deployments. My mom reminded me more than a few times of how rarely she had heard from my dad when he was deployed in Vietnam, and how blessed I was to hear from my husband so often. The deployment also gave me an opportunity to grow closer to my siblings and their families, whose support comforted me on many days without phone calls.
Even on the two weeks of R&R when Tony got to come back to the states, different family members showed their support by giving us a place to "honeymoon" and making Tony feel welcome at the summer family reunion.
Tony returned from Iraq on December 26th, 2005.
We wanted to plan a wedding ceremony that his family from California would be able to attend as well as my family from all over. We picked June 24th for the ceremony; June because that is the month we met, and the 24th because that is the day in November which we had our first little ceremony.
So, this ceremony is important to us because it allows both sides of our family to come together and celebrate the Holy institute that is marriage. You are all invited, and though most will not be able to attend due to a shortage of time, money, and gasoline, you will be in our hearts and minds.
Thursday, June 22, 2006
Monday, June 05, 2006
Familia
Usually I can just go back to sleep in the mornings as soon as Tony leaves for class, but I just couldn't this morning. I found out yesterday that Grandma Strickland is supposed to go to court so that it can be decided whether or not she will become a ward of the state. I'm not sure if talking about this online is "airing dirty laundry" or not, so if it is, someone tell me so and I'll take it down. I'm just feeling really upset about the whole thing.
Grandma just hasn't been the same since Grandpa died. It's like she went into this depression and STILL hasn't come out. On top of that, her diabetes forces her to always watch what she eats, her vision is not so good, so she can't drive, and she's had a few pin strokes, which I think have made it more and more difficult for her to walk. I think that all of this frustration has messed with her mind, and now she thinks that she can't do anything on her own. She has a hard time just moving her feet, which makes her fall a lot, so she's pretty much ALWAYS covered in bruises and usually pretty sore from the latest fall. Well, to make a long story short, some PA saw some of these bruises on her, plus some blister on her foot and decided that Grandma must be suffering from elderly abuse. Then, the PA kept harassing Grandma, trying to pump her for info on who was beating her or something like that, so Grandma just kind of cracked and said that she is being abused. Lord, have mercy!
So, to make a painful story less long, today they are going to decide the fate of my Grandma, and to be perfectly honest, I'm kind of scared.
If Grandma told them she is being abused and not taken care of, then they are probably going to believe that. Why shouldn't they? She looks like she's been beaten from all of the bruises on her from the places she falls. (If they would just watch her walk for a good minute by herself, they would see why she falls.) Even if she decides to tell the truth, which would take a lot of courage, I don't know that they would believe her. So, all I can do is pray.
If she becomes a ward of the state, I think that one of two things will happen. Either the people in the nursing home will do everything for her so that she never has to get out of bed or use her brain, and she will basically just rot there, or they won't do anything for her and she will be so overwhelmed by the fact that she is not surrounded by her family who loves her, and she will just give up. It's a death sentence.
What will become of this family with Grandma gone? We barely see one another for longer than a few minutes more than twice a year, and even then, some people choose not to come. My aunt and uncle are just a couple of hours away, and yet they seem so much farther, and it seems like the only thing that is keeping us together is taking care of Grandma. It kills me, because family is so important. So, sometimes we have disagreements and sometimes we do and say things we regret, and sometimes other people hurt our feelings, but in the end, we are still family.
I was watching "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" last night, and I was struck by the concept of spiritual warfare in families. In case you haven't seen the movie, it takes place in England during WWII. Four siblings are sent to the country so that they will be safer from the bombings that are taking place in the larger cities. The children somehow find themselves in another world with talking animals and a wicked witch. As the children are told about Aslan (a lion who is the rightful king of Narnia and has come to dethrone the witch, who has no claim to the throne) and how he has gathered up an army to fight against the White Witch, and that he is waiting for their arrival, one of the children remarks that their mother had sent them away so that they wouldn't be in the middle of a war. But, the children fight, and win the battle, because that battle was not a war against humans. As the Bible says in Ephesians: "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."
I thought it was interesting in this allegory how the white witch's deep hatred of the four siblings, who are rightful heirs to the throne, as they are favored by Aslan, is so much like Satan's hatred of humans, who are made children of God by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. No wonder Satan hates families. The family, by God's perfect plan, is meant to protect and nurture the individual, as we are so much stronger together than we are when we're alone. If this weren't true, then marriages would not break up, families would not fall apart, relationships would always remain unbroken, and individuals would not feel alienated and alone.
God, protect my Grandmother. Do not let her be separated or abandoned. Strengthen our family, and remind us all of the blessing you gave us through one another.
Amen.
Grandma just hasn't been the same since Grandpa died. It's like she went into this depression and STILL hasn't come out. On top of that, her diabetes forces her to always watch what she eats, her vision is not so good, so she can't drive, and she's had a few pin strokes, which I think have made it more and more difficult for her to walk. I think that all of this frustration has messed with her mind, and now she thinks that she can't do anything on her own. She has a hard time just moving her feet, which makes her fall a lot, so she's pretty much ALWAYS covered in bruises and usually pretty sore from the latest fall. Well, to make a long story short, some PA saw some of these bruises on her, plus some blister on her foot and decided that Grandma must be suffering from elderly abuse. Then, the PA kept harassing Grandma, trying to pump her for info on who was beating her or something like that, so Grandma just kind of cracked and said that she is being abused. Lord, have mercy!
So, to make a painful story less long, today they are going to decide the fate of my Grandma, and to be perfectly honest, I'm kind of scared.
If Grandma told them she is being abused and not taken care of, then they are probably going to believe that. Why shouldn't they? She looks like she's been beaten from all of the bruises on her from the places she falls. (If they would just watch her walk for a good minute by herself, they would see why she falls.) Even if she decides to tell the truth, which would take a lot of courage, I don't know that they would believe her. So, all I can do is pray.
If she becomes a ward of the state, I think that one of two things will happen. Either the people in the nursing home will do everything for her so that she never has to get out of bed or use her brain, and she will basically just rot there, or they won't do anything for her and she will be so overwhelmed by the fact that she is not surrounded by her family who loves her, and she will just give up. It's a death sentence.
What will become of this family with Grandma gone? We barely see one another for longer than a few minutes more than twice a year, and even then, some people choose not to come. My aunt and uncle are just a couple of hours away, and yet they seem so much farther, and it seems like the only thing that is keeping us together is taking care of Grandma. It kills me, because family is so important. So, sometimes we have disagreements and sometimes we do and say things we regret, and sometimes other people hurt our feelings, but in the end, we are still family.
I was watching "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" last night, and I was struck by the concept of spiritual warfare in families. In case you haven't seen the movie, it takes place in England during WWII. Four siblings are sent to the country so that they will be safer from the bombings that are taking place in the larger cities. The children somehow find themselves in another world with talking animals and a wicked witch. As the children are told about Aslan (a lion who is the rightful king of Narnia and has come to dethrone the witch, who has no claim to the throne) and how he has gathered up an army to fight against the White Witch, and that he is waiting for their arrival, one of the children remarks that their mother had sent them away so that they wouldn't be in the middle of a war. But, the children fight, and win the battle, because that battle was not a war against humans. As the Bible says in Ephesians: "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."
I thought it was interesting in this allegory how the white witch's deep hatred of the four siblings, who are rightful heirs to the throne, as they are favored by Aslan, is so much like Satan's hatred of humans, who are made children of God by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. No wonder Satan hates families. The family, by God's perfect plan, is meant to protect and nurture the individual, as we are so much stronger together than we are when we're alone. If this weren't true, then marriages would not break up, families would not fall apart, relationships would always remain unbroken, and individuals would not feel alienated and alone.
God, protect my Grandmother. Do not let her be separated or abandoned. Strengthen our family, and remind us all of the blessing you gave us through one another.
Amen.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
