Sunday, September 1, 2013

{Mantilla Link-up} and {WIWS}

What I Wore Sunday linkupNow that Hubby works a Tuesday - Saturday schedule, my favorite day of the week is Sunday.  No pressure to get any of my work done, Hubby is home, it's the one relaxing spot (usually) in a busy, busy week.

My favorite time exactly is 3pm on Sunday.  We've gone to mass,  had lunch with my parents/family, we're back home and the babies are in bed.  It is generally 3pm when I can sit down, talk to Hubby, watch a little TV, just stop for a bit.
 
Today, our priest spoke about humility.  This happened to coincide with the Mantilla Link-up with Jenna over at Call Her Happy. 

I rarely have pictures taken of me, and a full body pic is even rarer.  But, in keeping with a spirit of humility, here's a picture of me, still working on my work in progress :)


Scarf/Veil:  Charlotte Russe
Skirt:  Target
Shirt:  Resale shop
Shoes:  Old Navy

A couple weeks ago, Jenna started talking about veiling during mass.  I'd always kind of brushed that idea aside, but a couple things resonated with me enough to give it a try this Sunday.

Tried to go with something close to my hair color

It was a nice tie-together that our homily was on humility.  Part of my hesitation on veiling has always been sticking out at mass.  It occurred to me as I played with the veil in front of my mirror while getting ready that I go to mass every week with two white kids, a white husband and a middle child who is obviously bi-racial....ummmm, people are already looking, maybe the veil isn't going to be what they notice. 

Sure enough, I think people noticed that I was wearing a veil.  I felt a little set apart, which would cause me some pause in doing it again.  However, I also felt more reverent and focused, which would cause me to consider it again.  I'm not sure if the babies behaved any better because I looked different or if the veil caused me to respond to their fidgets in a calmer manner that helped smooth things over, but they behaved better than usual, even though they were cranky when we walked in and mass lasted 75 minutes.

I liked the mental space it put me in, and I liked the reminder to focus when a child would distract.  I didn't like feeling different, but I liked having something that was different that I did only for mass.  A knit skirt and sandals might be something I would go about a Tuesday in, but a veil, that was different, that was set apart and special to where I was....that was beautiful. 

It was also special to realize the last time I wore a veil, I was sitting in that exact same church, over nine years ago, marrying the guy I was sitting in the cry room with this morning.  Feeling more connected to my husband and the sacrament of our marriage during mass? Yeah, that's a good reason not to toss out the possibility of veiling in the future.  Especially in a hurried and stress-filled life where that connection is ever-precious.  It's hard to keep that in mind when your 2 y/o is spitting gold fish crackers on the carpet....yeah that just happened.  Naps are over and the Sunday break is too. 

I'm undecided on whether I'll veil in the future.  I think probably not regularly, but I'm not going to rule that out.  After all, people are already looking, might as well kick my weird up another notch :)

Stop by Call Her Happy for more Mantilla Link-ups and Fine Linen and Purple for more WIWS.

8 comments:

  1. There are so many things I want to say about this post:

    1. That is also my fave time of day. I love my quiet time during naps :)
    2. That pic of you in the veil? You look stunning.
    3. I felt like I learned so much about you just from this post. I didn't know you were a foster mom. I didn't get a chance to read through all of your posts on the topic, but do you have a post that talks about why you decided to do it? So beautiful and brave!
    4. "or if the veil caused me to respond to their fidgets in a calmer manner that helped smooth things over" Love this thought. I didn't realize it at the time, but I think that was the same for me too.

    Thank you so much for linking up! Great post!

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    1. I really felt we were being called to it - here I talk about how it's our pro-life movement: http://anneryathome.blogspot.com/2010/09/fostering-life.html.

      After our oldest was born, we TTC for 5 years without success. After a near-fatal ectopic rupture, I felt clearly that God wasn't calling us to grow our family the 'old-fashioned' way. We pursued fostering. It was a year-long process to get licensed, and we've only had one placement (SB). We brought her home at 2 days old and she's been with us since July 18, 2011. Four weeks after we got SB, I discovered I was, miraculously, expecting. After it looked, for a year, like we would be able to adopt SB, a bio dad became involved and she's currently in the process of transitioning out of our home and into his. It has been a path fraught with sorrow and uncertainty and our hearts are breaking over losing her, but there have been blessings as well, most notably our youngest daughter. She truly was the gift of our fiat.

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  2. Really cute outfit. I like the scarf/head covering! great idea to have one piece that works for both!
    Laura Rose @rosesformommy.blogspot.com

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    1. Thanks - I got it at Charlotte Russe just this week - the link will take you straight to the scarf :)

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  3. LOL on your comment people are already looking... I say you SHOULD kick it up a notch! PS the thing I love about having little veiling girls is they take attention away from me ;)

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    1. Haha, yes, we are quite the spectacle - maybe veils for all would really kick things up!

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