And within the Church, we lean on others. Each of us has a patron saint. Each of us has a guardian angel. And each of us has at least one godparent, to shepherd us through things that are beyond our parents. As parents, we choose godparents who will reinforce us, people to whom our children can turn when we are not cool enough to listen to them, and when they need to hear difficult truths from someone who loves them.
Godparents shepherd our kids.
Godparents tell our kids the same things we do. Godparents are an example for our kids. If, God forbid, one parent should die, the godparent is someone with whom the surviving parent can discuss a child s problems problems that other people might not notice or consider important. My daughter s godmother lives a thousand and a half miles away, but I know that if my child has a problem that she doesn t want to run by me, she can pick up the phone and hash it out with her godmother and get good advice. When I m not sure about what to let the kids do or whether I m being too strict or too lenient, godparents are a sounding board.