Twins' Confirmation

We recently celebrated the twins’ confirmation into the Episcopal faith. As is always the case, the rector in charge of confirmation told the confirmation class at the start of the year that the decision to be confirmed or not was their own. Their first real decision about faith, as most were likely baptized as babies. She said if the teen did not want to be confirmed that was his/her decision but she asked that they attend the year’s course. Our kids attended but we are often unsure of whether or not they would opt in or out at the end of the year. Tori joked that if one of the twins did not get confirmed, that one would be the control sample. We can now laugh- both are confirmed!

We had a lovely spring day (the first of its kind this year) with a bit of sunshine for the twins’ confirmation. The confirmation was held at a nearby church (not our own) and had kids participating from all over the diocese. It was large but encouraging in so far as so many kids were getting confirmed in this day and age. The Bishop gave a moving sermon about confirming but not conforming. The twins marched up to the altar with the other kids from our church. When the Bishop put his hands on each twin, as well as two much loved clergy members from our church, I prayed the blessing stayed with them. Then for the rest of the service the twins’ godmother and I cried through the hymns and took many many pictures. Everyone was together and dressed up!

On the picture note, a friend here in town (via California, Paris and Hong Kong and with twins!) took pictures of the day for us, when we all came back to our house. Her artwork is lovely and informal and sweet but a big challenge to bring those qualities to bear on the photographing of teens! But she did it and all the effort is much appreciated. I recently started looking for pictures of Tori’s confirmation in Munich and am not finding them. I remember getting them on a disk, which was packed in a blue box…Yes, they are gone! They were classics too- not just because Tori was so sweet and sincere and the same godmother mentioned above was there but because our minister wore an African shirt beneath lederhosen!

As we move here and there and as the kids grow up, we have less photographs. Perhaps we are not as cute as we once were but honestly that is not it. I have to say I find these teens just as cute as the toddlers- just as eager to try new things, just as eager to tell me no, just as headstrong about their fashion choices. The simple fact is that the kids are not home enough to take pictures. This Easter Adam was away on a boy scout trip (sailing in the Bahamas!). We’ve been known to travel on birthday these days. We see them less and when we do see them, we don’t take pictures. We don’t want to spoil the mood. We let them be- and occasionally ask them to send us a picture they took on their phones that has them in it!