We All Need Somewhere To Go When It Gets Too Hard

Finally watched the royal wedding tonight and surprisingly I have to say there were a ton of things I really liked about the ceremony, the whole event really.

Despite myself (because the princess in me wanted them to be all giddy and joyful) I really appreciated their demeanor of sincerity and gravitas. They both seemed to have some sort of grasp on the import of what they were doing. Granted what they are doing is much more weighty than just your average marriage but I was glad to see them approach the whole thing so soberly with just the right amount of well placed grins and hushed asides.

My favorite part (aside from critiquing the fashion, watching the ABC's eyebrows, and eating the amazing caramel rolls my friend made). Was the fact that they didn't mess with the vows but they did compose a prayer together. I found that very impactful. Just the thought that they are walking away from this very important occasion with one concrete thing that they can go back to together in the hard times seems genius to me.

During one of our last conversations when things were clearly coming apart at the seams I finally said to my husband, do you think maybe we should pray together? His answer was that he didn't see any reason we would, or should, or anyway we would benefit from that. I could pray he said, and he would sit there. And so that's what we did.
A metaphor for our whole marriage I guess. And just like before it turns out that when only one person is trying you are both bound to fail.

I really hope William and Catherine have some opportunities to use their prayer (not horrific or devastating opportunities) but there are opportunities to come together in any marriage. What I really hope is that when one of those times comes around, that they both have the presence of mind to kneel before God, together, and begin to work through it. To take that solemn prayer, written when their joy was greater than it may ever be again, and to use that strength, and that joy, and the memory of the amazing community supporting them on that day to get them through.