More from the Shower

Leslie's cousin

Leslie and her Dad

Fotos of the Despedida

Showers of Blessing

Well, new events are starting in my life today. This evening, starting at 7:00, we have our first wedding shower. This is one of the four that Leslie will have here, and today's will be with friends from work. We have been cleaning all afternoon here at Leslie's house because the shower will be here.

I am glad to see that important events in people's lives (like a marriage) are celebrated with friends and family. These are time to acknowledge the end of one stage of life and the beginning of a new stage, as well as to pass on blessing and words of wisdom.

I look forward to seeing how the despedida de solteros (goodbye for singles) is different from a traditional wedding shower in the U.S. I know that here in Mexico there are not separate celebrations for the shower and the bachelor (ette) parties, rather both are rapped up into a single festive occasion. At our parties we will seek to celebrate in holiness instead of the culturally common, unrestrained ways of celebrating the right-of-passage from single life to married life.