Pre Cana: Maggie’s take

So today Chris and I had our Pre Cana class, and it wasn’t horrible!! Surprise!!

okay, not really. I didn’t think it would be horrible based on what others had told me, and I was actually looking forward to it. Chris, on the other hand, was skeptical. But I’ll have him post his own thoughts on the process.

So anyway, we had a super nice guy named Frank leading the group of about 36 couples. The morning started off with a quick prayer, and I was thinking to myself “uh oh, if this is going to be ultra religious Chris is going to freak”. I mean the poor guy can’t even make the sign of the cross. We started off with an exercise listing things about our past, who has influenced us, what were key events that shaped who we are today, etc. Then we had to list qualities we thought we had, and qualities we thought others thought we had. The whole point of the exercise was to share your answers with your partners and surprisingly I learned things about Chris right off the bat I didn’t already know. Then we did other exercises with the couples at our table, listing what we thought were the 3 most important ingredients to a marriage, aside from love. Each table shared their list to create a master list, and everyone had different thoughts and ideas.

The morning progressed talking about other similar topics, like balance of time together and with others and setting up boundaries. We wrapped up the morning by writing a letter to our future spouses to be exchanged and discussed over lunch. I was a bit nervous about this because even though I’m a blogger and have no problem putting myself out there for everyone to see and judge, it’s a bit scary when it comes to sharing those intimate thoughts with Chris. So we quickly read each others letters and then chowed down on Portillos. I had no desire to really discuss my letter with Chris over burgers and fries surrounded by tourists.

After lunch we reconvened to touch on topics ranging from finances, to children, to natural family planning and even (gasp) sex. We did a few more exercises with the group and individually and before we knew it, it was 4pm and the class was over.

So, what did I think of the whole process and what did I take away from it? I thought the day was very informational, interesting, and fun.We sat at a table with other couples in the same boat as us, the girls being the Catholics and the boys along for the ride. We were all getting married in different parts of the country, and came from different backgrounds, but we were all there to learn the same thing and go through the same process together. I really felt it made you take a step back and think beyond the wedding itself, and realize what exactly it means to be married. I wish everyone was required to take this class, I think so many marriages would benefit from it. The leader of the group was great, not too preachy.

So the next step is our FOCCUS test and based on today, I’m sure it will go smoothly. I’m really excited to finish another step on the road to marriage. 377 days and counting!!