Take Care of Father

Some days I wake up, look at the pictures of the ordination and scratch my head, puzzled: "My husband is a priest?" It really hasn't hit me yet.

For a while there, I was trying to figure out a tasoni (priest's wife) job description. What does the position entail exactly? At first, no one could tell me, or worse I was getting conflicting messages.

Finally, one friend clued me in to the secret. Tasoni's job is to take care of Abouna, in whatever shape or form that takes. That's why I was getting conflicting advice!

If Abouna needs someone to keep track of his schedule, this becomes Tasoni's job. If he needs someone to drive while he practices his sermon or answers important calls, that becomes Tasoni's job. If Abouna is hyper-focused on the service, then Tasoni must make sure the kids and the home are not only taken care of, but a source of energy, stress-relief, love, and support for Abouna.

It doesn't make sense to compare the tasoni of one church to the tasoni of another. Just as all abounas are different, all tasonis are too. Her bosses are God, Abouna, and herself. Only they can decide what needs to be done and whether or not she's doing a good job at it. This tasoni needs to teach Sunday School to fill a service gap. That tasoni can't teach Sunday School because Abouna asks her for a different favor after Liturgy.

The job isn't one-size-fits-all, and it isn't static either. A tasoni with three kids under 5 will have a very different role when they are all full grown. The point is that Tasoni is an individual, just as every Abouna has different strengths and weaknesses. Insha'allah, I will find my niche, find my purpose within my new life.