Tuesday, April 10, 2007

times they are a-changing



On March 31st, just before Holy Week, Mike was ordained a Deacon. This last week has pretty much been a blur. Holy Week is always an intense time, but when your husband is also making his way through his first week of clergy service, and you spend more time in church than you do anywhere else...phew, I'm still exhausted.

But what a beautiful time it has been. The ordination service made a lot of people in Casper (and a lot of Mike's family) overwhelmingly happy and proud and excited about where Mike is headed. When the deacon vestments were pulled over Mike's head, I was a trembling mess of tears and joy. I know it's hard for many to understand, especially if they are not religious, and even if they are and their church has deacons, because the Orthodox Church just has a whole other approach to the deaconate. But I'm not going to get into that here.

Of course this is all fairly new to me also, having been Orthodox for only 5 years. I feel a little strange holding the hand of a man in a collar, and I blame it on these Western notions that are still stuck in my head about celibate clergy. I don't know why they're still stuck in my head. I was never Catholic, and I've spent plenty of time around married priests and deacons. Maybe I'm worried that people will think I'm involved in some sort of scandal when I have my arm around the waist of a man who surely must have taken a vow of celibacy. It's a little funny to me to think about the kind of reaction we might get when we're out together.

Anyway....life is changing quickly, and I'm trying to keep up. Deacon Michael just sent in his official acceptance of an offer to the PhD program at Fordham University. Which is in the Bronx. In New York City. Which means we're moving back. In only a few months. And I will again be living in New York. Near Broadway. And Chipotles as far as the eye can see. And yellow taxis. And people yelling. And lots of culture and things to do. And humidity. Oh, sweet humidity. It has not sunk in completely that we will be back there, but I do get butterflies in my stomach just to think about it.

One huge blessing is that we are headed to a place that is teeming with the kinds of jobs that I am looking for. I've decided to pursue development research and writing, and hopefully take it into a freelance situation where I can work from home and decide my own schedule. Then maybe, just maybe, someday we can have some babies, and I won't have to leave them in daycare all day, but we'll still be able to afford crazy extravagant things like diapers and food and clothing. It's almost too much to hope for.

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