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“I never cease to marvel at the miracle of walking into a room, sitting down with a few people, and walking out of the room having created something that didn’t exist before. That astounds me. And I love the process of that because it so clearly emulates the beauty of creator God. That’s a miracle to me.”
—Sarah Hart, singer/songwriter.
The creative process is an emotionally charged and passionate endeavor that engages every fibre of your being. It is a soul-searching creation of something brand new that has the potential to bond people together in ways that awaken surprising feelings.
A common interest, a shared passion, an endeavor that can be embarked upon together -these are other things that bind us physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. And this is when the sparks of creativity can’t help but overflow to our children.
My husband and I met at a music conservatory while earning our master’s degrees in music performance. We saw first hand the complexity of human relationships that occur in a setting where students are continually tapping into their deepest emotions.
While my relationship with my husband may have been sparked by the drama and expressivity of the conservatory environment, now we see that our common musical interests were part of God’s bigger plan for our lives.
Even after children come along, a marriage has to be about more than just the kids. The bond between husband and wife is a message of love that flows down to the children. It is the foundation of their whole world. When my husband and I leave the kids for an evening to go out on a date, we usually come back to happier, more relaxed kids. Maybe some of that is because they’re just glad to be away from us telling them what to do all the time -but I think it goes beyond that.
When our children see us taking time away to just be a husband and wife who enjoy each other’s company, who find something common to do together, and who focus for a time solely on one another, they feel that everything is as it should be.
There is no greater security than for children to see their parents loving each other the way God loves each of us. This is one way our kids come to know God.
During quarantine, my husband and I have rediscovered the joy of making music together. He is a music teacher, so our quarantine date nights consisted of escaping to his music room at the school to record praise and worship music for his students to watch and sing along with.
These “date nights” became more than just helping my husband with the quarantine version of his job. They reawakened the musician within me. They reminded me that I am more than just a chef, a diaper changer, or a newbie homeschooler. They also reminded me of one of the reasons I fell in love with my husband in the first place.
We always returned home from these date nights refreshed and renewed in our relationship with each other. We didn’t spend our time together zoned out in front of a screen or walking aimlessly around the grocery store. Together, we created. As Sarah Hart says in the quote above, we “created something that didn’t exist before.”
A husband and wife “emulate the beauty of creator God” every time they grow their family. But the creation of new life isn’t the only time that spouses should be emulating God. A common interest, a shared passion, an endeavor that can be embarked upon together -these are other things that bind us physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. And this is when the sparks of creativity can’t help but overflow to our children.
My children all have musical inclinations. We aren’t perfect at keeping to our practice schedules, performances, and consistent lessons, but at our core, we are all musicians. It is a language that we all speak. It is part of what makes each of us a Tierney.
It all started with two musicians falling in love, pursuing their passions together, and creating something (and seven someones) that didn’t exist before.
And that is a miracle.
Charisse
Charisse Tierney lives in Wichita, Kansas, with her husband Rob and their seven children. Charisse is a stay-at-home mom, musician, NFP teacher, and a catechist in training for the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd program. She is also a contributing author to The Catholic Mom's Prayer Companion. To see more of Charisse's work you can visit her blog, Paving the Path to Purity, or check out her Music Studio.