Random Contemplation - Babies on the Brain
I've got babies on the brain* today. Not in the way that makes my husband nervous - that rarely, rarely happens anymore. (As an aside, hes gotten amazingly good at picking up on when those situations are about to hit and prepares himself to be holding a sobbing wife later.) No - I've got a baby shower to attend this weekend for one couple, and another couple has announced the gender of their baby. So it has gotten me thinking - about children in general, about responsibility, and about being Fun Aunt Gayle, which is the best part.
Everything being tied into my spirituality, I started thinking about godparents. My parents chose, for my godparents, my dad's secretary and some guy he worked with. I think - I have no memory of ever meeting them ... probably one of the many reasons why I ended up a dirt-eating Pagan. :)
My niece is considerably younger than I am - 12 or 13 years, I believe. I am her godmother - my sister had to have her babtized in a Lutheran church just to make sure I could *be* her godmother, as I hadn't been given enough of the Sacraments to make the Catholic Church happy.
I wasn't always aware of what a huge responsibility that was, but it's always been in the back of my mind. I suppose that even at 12 years old, being put in a ritual situation and making promises right in front of God and everyone made an indelible mark on me. I have always kept an eye on my niece's spiritual growth, and as she has come into adulthood, we have had many deep discussions on the nature of the gods, etc. etc. It's a damn good thing she always had a predilection towards paganism, although I am educated enough about Christianity to have been able to help her if that was her path. I like to think that I have been helpful to her in that regard; certainly, she is one of the most spiritual people I know. (She needs some help with her social graces. Okay, a LOT of help. But there's only so much one person can do, and that part wasn't in the job description. ^o^)
I'm not sure where this is going. Maybe just that the choosing of godparents (or godsparents, if that's your path) seems so outdated and outmoded that even my parents' generation didn't think too much farther than that it would be a nice, empty honor to give someone who deserved some recognition with no responsibility attached. I feel that while it seems outdated, especially in our culture where spirituality is put on the back burner for most people (unless you're a fundamentalist Christian, and I'm so not going there), it's more crucial than ever. Anyone who is accorded that honor should think long and hard about whether they're ready to take it on.
* Yes, that puts a funny, Far Side-ish picture in my head, too.
Everything being tied into my spirituality, I started thinking about godparents. My parents chose, for my godparents, my dad's secretary and some guy he worked with. I think - I have no memory of ever meeting them ... probably one of the many reasons why I ended up a dirt-eating Pagan. :)
My niece is considerably younger than I am - 12 or 13 years, I believe. I am her godmother - my sister had to have her babtized in a Lutheran church just to make sure I could *be* her godmother, as I hadn't been given enough of the Sacraments to make the Catholic Church happy.
I wasn't always aware of what a huge responsibility that was, but it's always been in the back of my mind. I suppose that even at 12 years old, being put in a ritual situation and making promises right in front of God and everyone made an indelible mark on me. I have always kept an eye on my niece's spiritual growth, and as she has come into adulthood, we have had many deep discussions on the nature of the gods, etc. etc. It's a damn good thing she always had a predilection towards paganism, although I am educated enough about Christianity to have been able to help her if that was her path. I like to think that I have been helpful to her in that regard; certainly, she is one of the most spiritual people I know. (She needs some help with her social graces. Okay, a LOT of help. But there's only so much one person can do, and that part wasn't in the job description. ^o^)
I'm not sure where this is going. Maybe just that the choosing of godparents (or godsparents, if that's your path) seems so outdated and outmoded that even my parents' generation didn't think too much farther than that it would be a nice, empty honor to give someone who deserved some recognition with no responsibility attached. I feel that while it seems outdated, especially in our culture where spirituality is put on the back burner for most people (unless you're a fundamentalist Christian, and I'm so not going there), it's more crucial than ever. Anyone who is accorded that honor should think long and hard about whether they're ready to take it on.
* Yes, that puts a funny, Far Side-ish picture in my head, too.