The chaplains held a "coin and covenant" ceremony last week. The idea being that a couple can come together, think about the commitment they made to each other, then recommit in a simple ceremony that would sustain the relationship while deployed.Sounds good. We like it. We went. It was good.
Katie and I exchanged small cards with our promises to each other hand written on them. The cards were then laminated. I have Katie's promises to me in my pocket now. She has mine in her purse.
We were also given a "mizvah" coin--you've probably seen them, the "coin" necklace that is broken in two, with two parts of a prayer written upon it. It's a symbol of our unity and the hope that we will one day rejoin the coin to be together again. God willing.
It was an all-too-short moment in time when I could try to communicate to my bride just what she means to me. The words were all true, the emotions real, but I wish we had more time to reflect and experience the moment. The organizers tried to squeeze the ceremony in during a lunch break. I had a staff meeting immediately after the ceremony at 1300, so guess where my mind wandered off to. I was getting worried about making my meeting on time. Katie certainly deserves better.
The local paper sent out a reporter to cover the event and to do a report on chaplains in general. We were interviewed and the paper ran the article this morning. The picture is from the article. If you're interested you can read the article here: http://www.coastalcourier.com/news/article/16817/
The coin and card are tangible reminders of your love for each other as you are apart, even tho I know your love and commitment for each other goes way beyond that into a spiritual and emotional level. The news article featuring your comments is another neat remembrance of your ceremony that day.
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