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SeaStar
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| Posted: Jan 26 2015 at 6:29am | IP Logged
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I am trying to gather some ideas about what being a good godparent looks like.
How does it work at your house? Are your kids close to their godparents?
What special ways do they have to keep their connection?
Thanks!
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Melinda, mom to ds ('02) and dd ('04)
SQUILT Music Appreciation
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JennGM
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| Posted: Jan 26 2015 at 3:49pm | IP Logged
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Melinda,
I don't know if I'm a "good" godparent, but here are a few things my family does (both immediate and extended). My parents have 7 children, 25 grandchildren.
My sister and I, the two oldest, are the godmothers to our youngest siblings. It has been a special bond and privilege to be both the big sister and the godmother. We have nurtured that, even with just adding that in the signature of our cards or notes. Now they are grown and married, but we still nurture that special connection.
So many of my siblings are godparents to our nieces and nephews. That's who we turn to first, since we are blessed to have siblings who are seriously committed Catholics. Right now the average works that at Christmastime we all exchange a gift only for our godchildren. It all works out that there will be a gift for each child.
During the year, we send a gift or a birthday card especially for our godchildren. We might bless another niece or nephew, but we always make sure the godchild gets the extra gift on their birthday.
Not all the gifts are religious, but my one sister has blessed our son with pieces of Fontanini nativity, so that he could have his own set when he grows up.
We try to attend (if we can) for special events in our godchild's life, particularly the reception of the sacraments.
We also like to go to Mass on our godchild's birthday to pray especially for him/her.
There is a bit of reciprocity that some of my siblings have nurtured, such as the godchild writing special cards and praying for his/her godparent.
My godfather was my dad's brother, who was a quadriplegic and not practicing his faith (partially because he couldn't drive and his wife was a Methodist). When I got older, I started to write to him, and took it as special calling to pray for my godfather. It was a little reversal of roles....
Those are just some of the things that come to mind.
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Jennifer G. Miller
Wife to  & ds1  '03 & ds2  '07
Family in Feast and Feria
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SeaStar
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| Posted: Jan 27 2015 at 10:43am | IP Logged
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I love these ideas, Jenn- especially going to mass on their birthdays and praying for them.
For my godson, I bought a special Christmas ornament and wrote a letter to him every year. When he got married, I gave him the ornament set for his new home along with the letter. He loved it, but I have not kept up with it for my two god daughters.
My dd has a wonderful, devout godmother, and that has been a blessing.
My ds has not been so lucky- he laments that his godparents, sadly, don't seem to have much interest in him.
It has been on my mind lately that I need to pray much more often for my godchildren... and so I am also looking for other ways to connect more with them.
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Melinda, mom to ds ('02) and dd ('04)
SQUILT Music Appreciation
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SeaStar
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| Posted: Feb 09 2015 at 11:11am | IP Logged
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Bumping this up... dh and I are acquiring two new godchildren this spring!
we are very excited about this.
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Melinda, mom to ds ('02) and dd ('04)
SQUILT Music Appreciation
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JodieLyn
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| Posted: Feb 09 2015 at 12:47pm | IP Logged
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Not all our Godparents are involved.. but the ones that are.. one tends to remember birthdays and Christmas (and sends something for everyone at Christmas) as well as Sacraments. And because she's involved in music ministry, you can usually count on her to send something related to music. The other ones are local and while they don't remember birthdays or send a lot of gifts. They're here for the kids receiving their Sacraments and they recently took the two they "have" out for ice cream near their birthdays which was fun. And either of those I know I can count on for prayers. A few of the kids may be more needed to pray for their God parent as Jenn mentioned.
I'd say that it's partly our fault but they're relatives and well, at the time we didn't know anyone else to ask. The younger kids all have local Godparents because we'd had time to become part of a community by then.
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Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
-Sir Walter Scott
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4Real Forums : Domestic Church
Topic: What does being a godparent look like ?
