Anyone have any useful tips about selecting godparents? I have someone in mind for her godfather, but no one for godmother at this point.
Here are some criteria I'm using to narrow down (aka why you're not being considered if you think you should be) my choices:
*Must be local. I'm not delusional enough to think you're going to want to fly in for her baptism/blessing (still up in the air about these events), first and subsequent birthday parties, etc, and these are things I'd want you to be close enough to her (and us) to want to be a part of.
*No family. You're already getting the title of aunt/uncle/grandparent/etc, so to me family should be out.
*Someone I've been friends with for at least a few years, and could see having in my life for the remainder of hers.
*Someone who has had some sort of substantial impact on my life, or it's direction.
I have a couple really great girlfriends, but only a couple, and both are out-of-town/out-of-state. Luckily, I'm a guy's girl and D's a girl's guy, so I'm hoping to work out a "I'll choose the godfather, you choose the godmother" type of deal.
Also, how do you go about asking people to take this sort of role? What does the role of godparent even mean these days? I'm open to all sorts of opinions on this, so I'd love to hear from any and everyone, both new parents-to-be and those who have numerous children :)
We recently baptized our now 16 month-old (we're slacker Catholics) and in choosing the godparents didn't really focus on anyone outside of the family. I guess for Catholics we put a lot of emphasis on who has a strong faith and will help instill that in our children. But that's not the only criteria...we chose the two people we are incredibly close to who happen to be my husband's older sister and her husband.
ReplyDeleteEveryone has different reasons and definitions of what a godparent is, so use your definition and choose that way. No matter who it is, they'll be surprised and honored :)
Yeah, let me know when you get this one figured out, because my daughter is THREE and still not baptized because my husband and I can't agree on godparents! He thinks that only HE should have any say in who her godparents will be, so that rules out all of my family and friends, as well as anyone on his side of the family that I like well enough to choose as a godparent.
ReplyDeleteHeck, he works weekends, maybe I should just do it on the sly without him...no, not really, but this is getting kinda old!