For as long as my daughter has been alive I wanted to get her baptised.. Her father was horribly abusive to me and utterly forbade it.
During the abuse he went through intense periods of stonewalling me and locking me out of the house, I remember at 30 weeks pregnant I had nowhere to go.
I found solace in the Church, I'm not hugely religious but have followed the Catholic way of life by getting baptised, having my communion and she getting confirmed. The church gave me the strength and courage to realise I was deserving of more and that I didn't deserve do be abused.
I finally found that strength to leave him and he is banned from seeing her as determined by the family court.
I've been going to Church as and when I could and bringing my daughter with me.
Today... She got baptised, and I honestly feel so emotional to have been able to make that choice.
As reiterated, I'm not hugely religious.. But I want her to be able to find the strength and courage to deal with anything life throws at her and she may or may not find that in the Church in the same way I did. If she doesn't, then that's ok too.
It was a truly special day today.