Rose Exchange

Waaaaaaay back when The Hubs and I tied the knot (literally.. we tied a knot as part of our wedding), there was a part of our ceremony where all four of us, LW and GG included, exchanged roses.  It was a symbol of our becoming a family.  Before we exchanged them, we each just had three roses.  And once we had exchanged them, we still all had three roses.  But now, they were different.  They weren't OUR roses anymore.  Now we carried a rose from each member of our new family.  Just like before the ceremony we were just four people, and after the ceremony, after committing to be a family, we were different too.  The ceremony included a section where it asked us to come together once a year as a family, to exchange roses and to be reminded of why we all came together in the first place, and how we became a family.

So, every year around this time, we as a family - all six of us now - come together to exchange roses.   

We each pick out 5 roses.  We say what we like most about every member in our family and hand them one of our roses.

When we're done passing out all of our roses, we make a promise for what we will do to make the family stronger in the coming year and light a candle.   Sometimes it's little goals like LW promising to get a job or GG promising to spend more girl time with Bunny.  Sometimes it's big things like controlling a short temper better and trying to have more patience - yeah.. that was me - it's me every year.  

Bug and Bunny have participated in varying stages of success since they were born.  This year I think was the first time Bug really got what he was suppose to do and say.  He thanked each of his sisters for the different ways they play with him and said he was going to try to whine less in the coming year.  

Bunny just kept telling everyone how much she loved them and promised to be a better listener and not get into so much trouble. And with a little help from their big sisters, they each sealed the deal by lighting a candle.  Such big promises, I think from two such little people.

Corny? A little Brady Bunch? Yeah, I guess you could say that.  But it's one time a year where no matter what else is going on in our family dynamic, we can all come together and be reminded why we're here.  Why we agreed to be a family.  To remind ourselves to work hard for each other, to be kind to each other, and to love each other.  And more than that, to remind each other we're each worth that love and respect.  It reminds us to try a little harder, to do a little more, and mostly, it reminds us no matter what, we're family.  We're all in this together.

And when it's all said and done and we blow out the candles..

we walk away different.. changed by each other and what it means to be in this family.

Seriously.. Thoughts?