On Saturday July 13th our son Mason Ignatius Camara was baptized at the beautiful St.Patrick's Church. The same church that our daughter Lily was baptized in. I feel so blessed that my Great Uncle, Father Roy was able to come and be such a special part of this day with us and baptize our son. It made the day extra special because Mason is named after my Grandpa (that is where Ignatius comes from) and Father Roy is my grandpa's brother. So it made me feel that an even bigger part of my grandpa was present with us on this blessed day. That morning I found my pendant for my necklace that's a photo of my grandfather, it was as if it was a sign. I also felt very lucky that my mom found one of my grandfather's old ties and a cross that hung in his home that I could gift to Mason for his baptism. Items that I hope one day he will treasure as much as I do.
There is something calming about being in a church. Our morning did not start off or go very smoothly and I left the house feeling very anxious and stressed. Mason was fighting an ear infection and not feeling well and Lily decided to have an epic toddler meltdown before leaving the house. However, the moment that we stepped into the church it's like everyone's demeanor changed. I felt calm and reminded of the reason of why we were there. I was excited for the event that was about to take place and to see so many of our loved ones present to witness it with us.
The service was absolutely beautiful. Filled with lots of love, memories and even laughter. What I really loved about the day was that we ended up having a private baptism and it was only our friends and family present. When I looked out and knew everyone that was there my heart filled with so much love and I felt so blessed that my son has so many amazing people in his life to help guide him on his journey. I also really enjoyed having the time after the service to speak to everyone that came, thank them and tell them how much it meant to me that they were present for this special occasion. I felt we were really able to celebrate Mason afterwards in a special and private way.
After the service we went back to our home and had a small party with our immediate family. It was exactly what we needed. I got some much needed time to catch up with my great uncle and share some amazing memories and laughs as we always do when we are together. But most importantly, we got to celebrate Mason and enjoy his special day with him. Mason was so good throughout the entire day despite feeling sick. But I think that was because he knew momma got him a special cake and he couldn't wait to dive right into it!
That night after all the festivities were over I was lying in bed and reflecting on the day. There were a few things that really stood out to me.
The first thing was the definition of family. Some people choose to define family as those related to them by blood and/or marriage. Other's will choose to broaden that definition. Well I am one of those people. When I looked out to see who was present during Mason's baptism a lot of my blood related family was not there. Was I disappointed a little bit. But then I looked and saw how many of my amazing friends were there to support us on this day. People who I have always considered family, some more so than people who I am blood related to. The word family can be defined however you want it to be. The people who I have always considered to be my family showed up for me on such an important day and I am so blessed and grateful to have them in my life.
Another thing that I was reminded of was that your relationship with faith and God is forever changing. I will be honest I am not one to speak of faith often or to attend church as much as I probably should. But I will say when I do, I always enjoy the service and feel so refreshed afterwards. My Great Uncle reminded me during the service that it is okay for our relationship with god and our faith to not be fluid. That in the end, we will come back to what we define as faith and we all have our own relationships with God. I was reminded of how much faith is important in my life and can help me through times of need.
The last thing I reflected on was the importance of being present and in the moment. Usually during such events I find it so difficult to be present and to enjoy it with my family. I am always worried about taking care of the food, planning the party and making sure that everyone else is okay. But this time I said NO! I am not going to throw a big party after Mason's baptism because to be honest with you I am fed up with everything being about a big fancy party. That is not what a baptism is about - it is about celebrating your child, them being welcomed into the church, and being blessed. It is about so much more than a party. I wanted to be fully present for my son and to enjoy this special occasion with all those who surrounded us. I am so grateful that I did!
This is a day that I will never forget and from the bottom of our hearts thank you to each and every one of you who came to be apart of such a special day with us! XO
I also want to thank Megan Butchard Photography for being present with us as a friend and our photographer. You captured such beautiful moments of our son's life and I will be forever grateful for that.
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