My son Sam was married to this love of his life, Katie, on Saturday in a beautiful backyard “COVID-19” wedding. It was one of the best experiences of my life. One of the reasons for that were the comments in the personal vows they both penned. They were profound.
If you took the time to write out your commitment, your covenant to those you love, what would you say? I am thinking about that today, and I believe it could be an impactful exercise. In the image above, I share Katie’s commitment to Sam, “I will never give up on you.” It was only one small statement, but it was power-packed. Even with the birds chirping I’m the background, you could hear the reaction from the small crowd. It was deep in meaning and everyone felt the strength of those words.
I could elaborate, as I’m sure you could on why this was so powerful, depending on our own personal narratives. After all, who doesn’t want the person they love to publicly declare this truth. It’s strong. It’s important. We all need our closest tribe to stick with us no matter what. Those of us who are older know that we will screw up (early and often), and sometimes it seems asking anyone to not give up is too big of a request.
I hope this idea of the importance of making a meaningful covenant resonates with some of you. What does your partner – or whomever you are making this commitment to – need from you? Also, and so critical, what do you really feel like you can commit to? I believe this is useful for many relationships, including close friends and family. If that is too much of an ask, how about meditating on Katie’s proclamation?
As a woman of faith, I know God won’t give up on me, and that should be enough. As a living, breathing human, I need to know I’m surrounded by those who are willing to commit firmly. I am meditating on those who provide that for me as I write this and I am full of gratitude.
I won’t give up on you, either.