Hot Mess
As I was going through some old photo albums I noticed the baptism certificate for my son. I put that in the photo album instead of blowing it up and framing it. I thought that was doing too much but it did cross my mind several times. I didn't think that when got older he would appreciate it on display poster size in the living room for all too see. So, I tucked it away in the photo album.
I couldn't help but think about that day he was baptized. I wanted him to be baptized in the same church I was. Fortunately, at the time the church was only a few blocks away, in walking distance. If it wasn't we would have never made it that day.
It was a unusually warm February day about 80 degrees. It was just plain hot to me. We had just moved a couple weeks before into my grandmother's old house and so we weren't quite settled yet but we proceeded to go forward. Joshua was 15 months old at the time and my sister gave me one of her kids outfits to wear. It was a velvet short set, dressy, with a white dress shirt. No baptism gown like I always see in the stores and in the movies. We had regular clothes. Which was probably a good thing too since he was sick that day and threw up in the middle of the ceremony on me.
So, it was a hot day and we had no car. My mom didn't go she was too preoccupied with waiting for my uncle to show up to discuss something of importance with him. So, I put Josh in the stroller, and my sister, two of my three nephews, rolled on to the church. We were sweating and trying to walk as fast as we could in the heat of the day. I think we got there we were all dripping wet from sweat. We all probably looked a hot mess, literally.
Months before Josh was born his dad and I picked out some Godparents. Now, that decision changed a couple of times before the actual day and the Godfather that we had picked out was on vacation on the actual day of the ceremony so we had to have a stand in which would have been his dad's brother, Joshua's uncle. Well, the stand in couldn't make it. He was stuck with no car at his now ex-wife's house. That lead to the problem of finding a stand in for the stand in. Since my nephew was already with me we used him. The Godmother was my sister.
We made it to the church late. I called a few times just to make sure the priest didn't leave. Then before we left the house I got a call saying that his dad would be late if he made it at all. He didn't have a working car and his mom was supposed to give him a ride until she decided she was too tired from working the night before. He had asked to use her car but she had an excuse that after she took her nap she had things to do. So, he was at his wits end thinking of a way to get 40 miles to the ceremony. Eventually, the vacationing Godfather called from Hawaii and gave him permission to use his truck. He just had to get the keys from his maid. Yes, the Godfather had a maid, not a mansion but a maid nonetheless.
Finally we got to the church, all of us looking like hot messes I am sure and we carried the stroller up the ten steps or so and into the ceremony room. The priest noticed that Joshua's dad was not there so he asked and I told him he was on the way. We all sat and waited for a few minutes and then the Priest said well, we could go over the ceremony what was going to happen. So, we did and still no other parent. We decided to start without him and he could catch up when he got there. We were about ten minutes into it when he arrived wearing white sweat pants and a white sports jacket. Ok, I guess it is safe to say we all REALLY did look a hot mess to the tenth power.
I am sure that the priest probably never saw anything like our group before. So, the whole thing took about maybe 20 minutes and we were done. So, since the truck couldn't fit everyone in it we decided to let my youngest nephew ride with him and so the rest of us walked back in the heat stopping at the gas station to get some water on the way back. Those blocks seemed so long walking in that heat.
We managed to get home in one piece and I for one was so glad to see an air conditioned house and some shade. Of course, the day was not over then. Josh was still sick so we had to get his medicine, cough meds at the drug store a few blocks away. But, the baptism was done and unlike most people on the planet we didn't have any pictures. In the rush of trying to get to the church on time nobody brought a camera. But, looking back it was probably a good thing since we all looked like we could have been sweat models for a magazine shoot all except for Joshua who had the shade of the stroller.
Yes, my life can be a circus sometimes and a hot mess at other times but one thing it is never boring.
I couldn't help but think about that day he was baptized. I wanted him to be baptized in the same church I was. Fortunately, at the time the church was only a few blocks away, in walking distance. If it wasn't we would have never made it that day.
It was a unusually warm February day about 80 degrees. It was just plain hot to me. We had just moved a couple weeks before into my grandmother's old house and so we weren't quite settled yet but we proceeded to go forward. Joshua was 15 months old at the time and my sister gave me one of her kids outfits to wear. It was a velvet short set, dressy, with a white dress shirt. No baptism gown like I always see in the stores and in the movies. We had regular clothes. Which was probably a good thing too since he was sick that day and threw up in the middle of the ceremony on me.
So, it was a hot day and we had no car. My mom didn't go she was too preoccupied with waiting for my uncle to show up to discuss something of importance with him. So, I put Josh in the stroller, and my sister, two of my three nephews, rolled on to the church. We were sweating and trying to walk as fast as we could in the heat of the day. I think we got there we were all dripping wet from sweat. We all probably looked a hot mess, literally.
Months before Josh was born his dad and I picked out some Godparents. Now, that decision changed a couple of times before the actual day and the Godfather that we had picked out was on vacation on the actual day of the ceremony so we had to have a stand in which would have been his dad's brother, Joshua's uncle. Well, the stand in couldn't make it. He was stuck with no car at his now ex-wife's house. That lead to the problem of finding a stand in for the stand in. Since my nephew was already with me we used him. The Godmother was my sister.
We made it to the church late. I called a few times just to make sure the priest didn't leave. Then before we left the house I got a call saying that his dad would be late if he made it at all. He didn't have a working car and his mom was supposed to give him a ride until she decided she was too tired from working the night before. He had asked to use her car but she had an excuse that after she took her nap she had things to do. So, he was at his wits end thinking of a way to get 40 miles to the ceremony. Eventually, the vacationing Godfather called from Hawaii and gave him permission to use his truck. He just had to get the keys from his maid. Yes, the Godfather had a maid, not a mansion but a maid nonetheless.
Finally we got to the church, all of us looking like hot messes I am sure and we carried the stroller up the ten steps or so and into the ceremony room. The priest noticed that Joshua's dad was not there so he asked and I told him he was on the way. We all sat and waited for a few minutes and then the Priest said well, we could go over the ceremony what was going to happen. So, we did and still no other parent. We decided to start without him and he could catch up when he got there. We were about ten minutes into it when he arrived wearing white sweat pants and a white sports jacket. Ok, I guess it is safe to say we all REALLY did look a hot mess to the tenth power.
I am sure that the priest probably never saw anything like our group before. So, the whole thing took about maybe 20 minutes and we were done. So, since the truck couldn't fit everyone in it we decided to let my youngest nephew ride with him and so the rest of us walked back in the heat stopping at the gas station to get some water on the way back. Those blocks seemed so long walking in that heat.
We managed to get home in one piece and I for one was so glad to see an air conditioned house and some shade. Of course, the day was not over then. Josh was still sick so we had to get his medicine, cough meds at the drug store a few blocks away. But, the baptism was done and unlike most people on the planet we didn't have any pictures. In the rush of trying to get to the church on time nobody brought a camera. But, looking back it was probably a good thing since we all looked like we could have been sweat models for a magazine shoot all except for Joshua who had the shade of the stroller.
Yes, my life can be a circus sometimes and a hot mess at other times but one thing it is never boring.
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