My Cross to Bear

In the picture to the right Marsha is wearing a gold cross with her mothers wedding band. She wore a gold cross for years often under her blouse but sometimes visible like in the picture. She commented that she wore it in school every day and it surprised her how many of the young girls in her classes would start to wear a gold cross as well. She wore the wedding ring as a reminder to pray for her mom.

From those two realities of Marsha's life came my choice for today. You see I have worn crosses in the past. I wore my Cursillo cross for years but the base medal caused a rash on my neck so I had to give that up. Gold does not cause the same skin reaction. I decided I would take the gold from my wife's wedding ring and my wedding ring and have them melted and molded into a gold cross that I could wear. The cross will be a perpetual reminder of the love and marriage that filled my life for forty five years. I carry those memories with me and the love that will never end. This cross I bear, unlike the sacrificial cross of Christ, is a love filled token of my heart that will always belong to Marsha. The cross was also a central place of our meeting. We grew in love for each other in huge and powerful ways as our love of Christ grew in our hearts. We loved best when joined in the cross of Christ. She is my inspiration once again, the cross that touches my heart is there because of the cross she bore.