(1) “I think it’s crazy that we don’t talk more about what happens AFTER the big day. ”

I completely agree! More relationship wisdom

Our frenzy over weddings distracts us from the main event: the marriage (that is, the relationship to be cemented over the next several decades).  Just like we allow urgent things all the time (in our work, in our bodies, in our inboxes) to distract us from the important things (our immediate hunger sends us to Chick-Fil-A, while a salad or sandwich from home would be better long-term for both our waistlines & our pocketbooks), weddings can distract us from the long-term, good, & hard work of a firm foundation for a life-long marriage.  This culture is set up to tear people and relationships apart; even the firmest-ly-founded marriage will suffer earthquakes–the least we can do is prepare as much as possible.

(2) “…they’re like brothers here,” [Fr. Charles] Wallace said. “The boys look out for one another. They counsel one another and console each other.” This quotation about the St. Thomas choir school, captured in an interview with The Living Church this week reminded me of our own version at Trinity Cathedral in Columbia–shown above.

Like the article and the video show, these choir programs are about singing, but on a much more foundational level for both groups of students they’re about learning who God is and how to recognize God in a journey with companions–their fellow students.  This makes a family; they enjoy deep relationships forged from common work and shared struggle.