Holy Marriage Blesses the World
/GENEVIEVE ALLEN
Most Catholics probably understand on some level that the vocation of marriage benefits the world; it provides structure to our societies and produces children. We also know that marriage can model the love of God and lead us and others to holiness.
But what do those words actually mean? How can our marriages actually accomplish this work in reality?
PHOTOGRAPHY: Emily Constance Photography
My first small glimpse of how my vocation to marriage affects the rest of the world occurred on my honeymoon.
The day after our wedding, Dalton and I took a road trip to Orlando, where we would stay the night before embarking on our cruise the next day. After over a year of planning, we embraced a rare moment of spontaneity and decided to book our hotel in Orlando while we were on our way there.
We found a reasonably-priced hotel near lots of shops and restaurants while we talked about the future and sang along to our honeymoon playlist during the ten-hour drive. It was utter bliss, absolutely how a honeymoon road trip should be.
But things took a turn for the strange when we finally pulled up to the hotel.
Three fire trucks and an ambulance were parked outside. Dalton dropped me off at the front entrance, and I went inside to wait in the long check-in line.
But it wasn’t a check-in line. It was a line of disgruntled guests who were requesting room changes due to a strong odor of smoke from a fire in the hotel earlier that afternoon.
Eavesdropping over the hotel soundtrack, I learned that no one was injured, but a lot of people were looking to be moved to the other side of the hotel. I wondered if we should just leave and try another place to stay. I was still wondering when it suddenly was my turn in line.
This is embarrassing to admit as an adult woman, but I still get uncomfortable sometimes when speaking with strangers, especially when I have to ask for something that I want.
In this case, I awkwardly stated that I was checking into the hotel oh and by the way would it maybe be possible to not have a smoky room because it was my honeymoon?
The guy behind the counter looked visibly deflated. His shoulders sank, and he rubbed his eyes. It had clearly been a day. “I’ll see what I can do,” he said in a somber tone.
I felt terrible for asking. I thought again about changing our reservation.
My thoughts turned to Dalton, waiting for me in the car. We’d have fun wherever we went.
I smiled, thinking about putting our playlist back on and driving around looking for another place to stay. Suddenly, I laughed out loud as I realized that the hotel loudspeaker was quietly playing “We Didn’t Start the Fire” by Billy Joel.
“Are y’all playing this on purpose?” I asked, still laughing.
The clerk looked at me blankly, and then suddenly he heard it too. We both laughed and had a moment where I could sense that we were seeing each other as humans for the first time, instead of just an awkward interaction.
“You know what? Let me do something,” he said, and he smiled as he typed on his keyboard.
He put us in a suite, far away from the smoke, and gave us vouchers for free breakfast the next day. We were both still smiling as I walked back to the car.
Such a simple moment, and yet I’ll never forget it. I was happy, overflowing with love from our wedding day and looking forward to the days to come.
This joy had put everything in perspective for me, and it had been easy to laugh in the face of stress.
My joy then touched this stranger, who looked like he had laughed for the first time all day.
Of course, not every day is day one of a honeymoon. It’s easy to spread happiness and peace when you are at peace yourself.
Some days, it can be difficult to summon the energy for our daily obligations, much less a joyful attitude about getting things done. Still, the effort we put into sustaining joy in our marriages does not just benefit us.
Fill up your husband’s coffee mug and send him to work with an extra-long hug. Send him a song that makes you think of him. Tell him that he makes you proud, thank him for doing something he’s always done.
Surprise him, sing with him, love him.
You never know who else will benefit from the joy you share.
About the Author: Genevieve currently practices as a lactation consultant and blogs with her sister Kat Finney for The Sister Post, a blog offering two perspectives on everything from spiritual discernment to baby gear. Genevieve and her husband Dalton began dating on the feast of St. Joseph. They have two children.