My husband, Ed, and I both came from large families. We shared childhood memories of the challenges of getting our families to places on time. We remembered being barely on time or late.
After we were married, we agreed that we would try to be 15 minutes early to give us extra time. This was especially helpful after we had kids.
Since Ed had a corporate job, he eventually started wearing a smartwatch that let him text and set alarms to make it easier to stay on schedule.
When Ed passed away, the hospital returned his smartwatch. I put it on and caressed it often to feel close to him. After a couple of years, the smartwatch wasn’t smart anymore. I had to replace it. The salesperson said that I would have to trade in Ed’s smartwatch to get the new one at the lowest price. I started to cry saying I wanted to keep Ed’s smartwatch. He said if I kept it the price would be expensive. The salesperson had an idea. He said he could put Ed’s old watchband on my new smartwatch face so Ed would still be with me through his band. He gently slid the old watch face off, put the new face on Ed’s old band and put the watch on my wrist. I thanked him for finding a way for me to keep Ed with me.
Later, while wondering why Ed was in heaven and I was still here, a text appeared on my new watch. It said, “God has you here for a reason. If you have ever felt unseen, overlooked, or unappreciated, this is for you.” It was the God-Ed hug I needed. I caressed Ed’s watchband and thanked God.
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Leonor “Leo” and Ed Rivera were members of the local Worldwide Marriage Encounter community for 32 of their 34 years of marriage until Ed unexpectedly died of a genetic heart defect on Aug. 1, 2020.
The next 2026 Worldwide Marriage Encounter Weekend is Nov. 20-22 at Notre Dame Retreat House in Canandaigua.
Tags: Catholic Marriage
