Responsible Role Models 6 - Celebrating Your Cherub

Every now and then, questions pop up and discussions arise in regard to Christenings, Baptisms, or Naming Days.  It is up to you and your partner to make the decision that suits YOU best as to whether you wish to have a religious ceremony to welcome your child into the world.   We weren't entirely sure we wanted to do anything at first, though luckily we made the decision just as he was about to outgrow the family Christening Gown.  After due consideraton, we finally chose to have a Naming Day to formally introduce our son to his community of family and friends.

We felt a family obligation to Christen Jayden, as was tradition - on Stephen's side. However, both sides are different religions, and neither of us wanted to pick either one for Jayden, and he was too young to decide what he wanted.  We did however want to celebrate his life, and confirm the role that we, his parents, and our family friends will play in his upbringing.  Therefore we decided to have a Naming Day, as we felt that this would fulfill our needs.  This is a basic outline that we prepared for our ceremony, I hope it gives you a clearer idea of why we chose to do this, and helps you with your decision:

The Introduction:
Our very good mutual friend Matt, (who introduced us, so is somewhat responsible for MicroMe/Jayden), presided over the celebration, and we wrote this speech for him to read as part of the celebration. 'As he grows up, Jayden will be taught about as many religions as possible.  This will enable him to make informed decisions in the future regarding his religion of choice.  It will also give him a greater understanding and respect for those with backgrounds that differ to his own.  His parents would like to commit to the following pledges for Jayden'.

Our Pledge To Jayden:

• We will nurture you in a loving and caring environment, so that you grow into a kind, considerate, empathetic person.
  
• We will help you to seek and gain knowledge, ensuring that you learn to make educated choices and good decisions for your future.
  
• We will support you in your endeavours, allowing you the confidence to take on and complete anything you wish.
  
• We will provide you with a balanced lifestyle, ensuring that you appreciate all that life has to offer, family, friends and fun.
  
• We will provide you with the tools that you need to become the best possible person you can be, both personally and professionally.
  
• We will give you respect and understanding as you go forth in the world, so that you can do the same for others.
  
• We will not influence you with any prejudices or preconceived ideas that we have, so your future is not hindered by our past.
  
• We will ensure you understand that the more effort you put into your life, the more you will receive in life.
  

 
The Conclusion:
Matt then finished off with this, 'thank you all for joining us today, please help yourself to some refreshments, and Jayden would personally like to give everybody present a cuddle and have his photo with you to add to his time capsule.  He also has note paper and pens available so that you can add your thoughts and wishes for him to read on his 18th birthday.'  We also had lovely little sachets of lavender from Great Nanna Terri's garden, with a ribbon attaching a card with Jayden's photo commemorating the day, for our guests to take as they left.

In Retrospect:
Now we have a pile of secret sealed envelopes for Jayden to open on his 18th birthday in his keepsake baby box. Something very special was a note that his great grandfather Paddy had written just before he died; which was 4months before Jayden was born.  Jayden also wore his great, great, grandmother's christening gown and cape, which is handmade and over 120 years old, it is a beautiful tradition, and he was the first of his generation to wear it.  Other family and friends who couldn't attend, have posted letters and cards to Jayden, for his keepsake baby box too.

Still Deciding?
We felt very privileged to have had Jayden be part of a wonderful family tradition, and satisfied that we had been true to ourselves and him in our choice at this time.  It is a very personal choice, and I hope that this has given you some ideas toward whatever special day you choose to celebrate your baby or child. If you had been thinking about whether or not to bother with a special day - I do recommend it.  We felt so proud of our little man being in the lime light, it was a great way for him to meet the people he will know and love for the rest of his life.  We have beautiful photos and memories of the day, and it is something we will always treasure.

Luisa Foliaki - Mother of MicroMe