Today is our wedding anniversary. The Prayer of St. Francis has a special place in our family. We read it at our wedding and used it at celebrations of life. As well, I refer to it in my academic writing and how it guides my life and teaching.
I remember our wedding day clearly. We had interesting happenings. A friend got off the bus in a town an hour from where we the wedding. Kathy drove to get him. My mother kept telling us we couldn’t see each other on our wedding day. It is supposed to be bad luck. The luck has been good as we are together and enjoy each other’s company. I told my mom we had to talk to figure out who was driving to pick up our friend.
Sitting in the front pew of the church, I heard the organ play the wedding song and rose, shaking like a leaf. When I turned to look at Kathy and her dad, the trembling stopped and I understood this was the right person for me.
Lord make me an instrument of your peace,
Where there is hatred let me sow love.
Where there is injury, pardon.
Where there is doubt, faith.
Where there is despair, hope.
Where there is darkness, light.
And where there is sadness, joy.
O divine master grant that I may
Not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
To be understood as to understand;
To be loved as to love
For it is in giving that we receive-
And it’s in pardoning that we are pardoned.
And it’s in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Amen.
Kathy and I enjoy music. Over the years, we attended numerous concerts. Our tastes are eclectic, covering a broad range of genres. We saw John Prine before he passed away. He was a singer you could not put in a box with his blend of quirkiness and socially relevant songs. One song we enjoy is this tongue-in-cheek duet performed with Iris Dement. The night we saw him he performed both male and female parts of the song, adding to the tongue-in-check nature. I don’t take the song to seriously. It is meant to be fun-filled.
In spite of ourselves, we can find life-long happiness and love.
Teacher as Transformer 