Ed and I visited the City of David in Jerusalem. It was classified as an archaeological national park. Ed was surprised I agreed to take the underground tour since I’m afraid of heights and claustrophobic.
I looked down the long see-through metal staircase and felt my fear of heights. Ed took my hand and guided me so I didn’t have to look down.
At the bottom of the stairs, the ground was uneven. My bad knees and feet wobbled. Ed gave me his arm to hold. I kept going.
The group walked and explored for a long time. Finally, we got ready to exit. The exit was very narrow with stone walls only a few feet apart. We were told to walk through together one behind the other. The thought of being trapped between people and the stone walls caused my claustrophobia to kick in. Ed recognized my panic. I said, “I don’t think I can do this.” He said, “How about if I go ahead of you and hold your hand while you just look at me and not the walls.” I hesitated but said,”OK.” I held Ed’s hand tightly and walked slowly as I looked only at Ed. When we reached the end, Ed said, “You did it!” He proudly took my picture. I was so relieved to make it back out into the sunlight. Whew!
Now that Ed is with God and in God, when I’m afraid, I touch Ed’s wedding ring that I wear with mine. I remember how he gently encouraged me in Jerusalem and throughout our marriage. I imagine Ed with Jesus saying, “Don’t be afraid. Hold my hand. Keep your eyes on me.” I take a deep breath and face my fears and continue on my journey of life.
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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 2026 Worldwide Marriage Encounter Weekends are June 5-7 and Nov. 20-22 at Notre Dame Retreat House in Canandaigua.
Tags: Catholic Marriage
