When you start to have children, you want to surround those children with as many positive influences as you can. You and your partner can certainly provide that positive influence, but the more positive vibes, the better, am I right? Enter godparents.
Selecting a godparent for your children is no longer just a decision for those in the Catholic religion. Personally, I believe that nowadays picking a godparent is the equivalent of choosing a positive role model for your children, someone who will be there as your children grow up and lead by example. I am what is called a “Cradle Catholic”, someone who was baptized in the Catholic religion and grew up Catholic. My husband is from the Bible Belt and was raised in the Church of Christ. Our religious views are quite different, but that did not have a factor in what we decided to do when it came to our children. Together, we decided that rather than forcing a religion on our children, we would expose them to multiple religions and allow them to choose their own religious route when they grow up. However, one aspect of religion we did want to enforce from day one with our children was the idea of a godparent.
I was raised to believe that a godparent is someone that your child can look up to in the Catholic faith; someone who exemplifies what it means to be a Catholic citizen in our society. In the Catholic religion, a godparent is selected at birth and is someone who will play a crucial role in your religious journey, from your Baptism and beyond. My husband grew up believing that a godparent was someone who looked after you if something happened to your parents. Neither of these ideas are wrong; they are certainly aspects to consider when choosing a godparent.
While the traditional “godparent” is still reserved for someone in the Christian religion, I feel that nowadays a godparent is not just reserved for Christianity. Rather, you can have “godparent”-like people in your children’s life who are there to support, influence, and care for your children. A godparent is someone you feel would easily step-in to offer support to you, and may even be someone you consider including in your will. Ultimately, there is nothing legally binding about choosing a godparent unless you specifically name them as your child’s caretaker in the event something did happen to you. We selected godparents for each of our children from a variety of religions, beliefs, and backgrounds. One thing they all have in common, though? They are all positive influences on our children; they lead by example and we have no doubt about their moral compass in life.
We may be the black sheep when it comes to this idea of godparents, but I can honestly say I feel completely comfortable with choosing this route for my kids. Me, a “cradle Catholic”, finds it completely normal for my kids to be surrounded by positive influences rather than forced into a religion without experiencing others and selecting one for themselves. If you are on the fence about the godparent decision, hopefully this will help give you an alternate point of view. Sure it should be a well-thought decision, but ultimately you and your partner are the primary positive role models for your kids. Take the time to think about godparents, but don’t overthink it. When all else fails, go with your gut.
