July 22, 2011

What’s important in life? Excerpts on marriage, children and death

Here are some excerpts from Remember What’s Important, a collection of essays and reflections by Rick Wagner, a member of St. Pius X Parish in Indianapolis and a member of the archdiocese’s deacon formation program who is scheduled to be ordained in June of 2012:

• Making a daily commitment to marriage—(Rick and his wife, Carol, have been married for 28 years.) “Carol and I have worked as presenters of a marriage preparation program for a number of years. A favorite expression we use, and the theme that pulls the weekend program together is, ‘Love is a decision.’ In several of our presentations, we incorporate the concept that marriage is about waking up every morning and making the decision to love your spouse that day. That is not as easy as it sounds. As Carol can attest, sometimes you may not even like your spouse much that day, but you still make the decision to love him or her. It is about commitment.”

• Saying ‘no’ to children—“Kids may think we don’t understand them because we are old. They ask to do something and we say, ‘No,’ so it must be because we are so old that we can’t even remember what it was like to be their age. The fact is we remember exactly what it was like to be their age. And we are saying ‘No’ because we remember how stupid we were, and how much we regret doing many of the things to which our parents didn’t say ‘No.’ ”

• Dealing with death—“There have been several deaths that have touched my life in the last few years. A more reflective nature and more prayerful life have changed how I view death. I know that I will never fully understand the timing of death or why certain people die when they do. But I know there is much to be learned from death, including the realization that we are not in control and that a life lived well gives comfort to those left behind.” †

 

(Related: Principal’s new book stresses importance of faith and family)

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