What Fr. Anthony Has to Do with This Blog

The last few weeks have been very busy. My husband (Abouna!) has been ordained a priest in the Coptic Church. Then he was shipped off to the monastery for 40 days of prayer and meditation. Now those days are coming to a close, and we're just days away from our first service in our new home church. I haven't blogged for a while for a few reasons.

First: I wanted to focus on myself and the little one.

Second: I got sort of freaked out about what people would say about this blog and the idea of a Coptic Tasoni blogging in the first place. As far as I know, I may be the only one.

I already have a sneaking suspicion that many people as they call to say "Mabrouk" are also secretly thinking: "Has she gone completely bonkers?!" I know that they must be thinking this because that was the first thing I thought over a decade ago when I heard that Abouna Anthony was going to be a priest.  My know-it-all teen self thought the following in no particular order: "Didn't he just get married?" "What is he thinking?" "That poor girl"

I know, I know. I look back now and can't help but burst out laughing and do a Homer-esque "Doh!" as I stand here in nearly the same place thinking, "How did I get here???"

I'm sure many people who barely know me (as I barely know Abouna A) are wondering the same thing. (FYI: One of my favorite Abouna/Tasoni pairs got married the day before the ordination--how is that for a double leap of faith?)

It's easy to imagine my husband as a priest but quite difficult to imagine me as a tasoni. All the tasonis I know are so sweet. So demure. DEMURE--ha! That would never describe me. I'm bossy and loud... and opinionated... I like to argue and have a hot temper. What if people read this crazy blog thing and think all tasonis are like this? I'd be doing such a disservice to their quiet beauty and grace under fire.

Because I heard the news so suddenly, I assumed that Abouna A's decision was rash. Having gone through the process myself, I now have a completely different picture of "how these things happen."

So I want you to know. We prayed a lot, for a very long time. We talked through it as a couple and as a family A LOT. No priest springs his priesthood on his wife. God works wonders in private, in the hearts of His people. The announcement seemed sudden, yes, but that's because not everyone could walk this journey with us. Some journeys you take alone, as a family.

God must have decided that I would do okay as a tasoni, because here I am. Trying to figure it all out.

And this blog, well, I had pretty much decided it would be best to keep my thinking through of things private. Then Abouna Anthony posted an entry about how we should all blog (okay, he didn't exactly say that, but...).

The truth is that life is complicated. Maybe as you watch me work through things, you'll find solutions to your own life experiences. I am most certainly not perfect: not as a person or a wife or a mother or a tasoni. But I love God. He loves me back. And we're both working daily to make our relationship stronger. Maybe you can learn something from my trials and errors and maybe you can teach me something, too.

In case you're wondering, I am THRILLED that the 40 days are almost over. Life without my best friend sucks. (Are Tasonis supposed to use that word? Oh well, too late...)