Last week at a speaking engagement in Illinois, I asked my audience of parents to tell me about their kids. Not just “tell” me about them, but brag. I gave them permission to boast. Pull out the smartphone, if they wanted, to show off the photos. I had to cajole them into doing it. Hard […]
This week I happened across this YouTube video ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVUZzgswJaY) in which two strapping young Dutch men experience the joy of childbirth … well, two hours of simulated labor pains. That’s almost the same thing, right? Sure. In his classic work Life of the Beloved, Henri Nouwen acknowledges that the mystery of suffering will remain […]
“Sorry, No Steeple…but we do have a drive-thru” is what the clever, cool, hip billboard sign proclaims. I wasn’t exactly sure what it meant so I didn’t pay it much never-mind. Then another one popped up with something that was, to me, similarly vague: We don’t accept perfect people. Still, not paying attention. Then a […]
During the summer of 1998, our family faced the sudden death of our twelve-year-old son. He was perfectly healthy that morning, but during the night, his airways had a spasm and closed up. We discovered him blue and not breathing. I said “faced” because we came face to face with death; waiting for medical help, […]
This year, rather than making resolutions to lose weight, read more books and floss for more than just the few weeks after a dental cleaning, America’s mothers and fathers should resolve to do better to raise our next generation of citizens. The result? A resurgence of skilled and solid parenting could be the key to […]
“We make men without chests and expect from them virtue and enterprise. We laugh at honor and are shocked to find traitors in our midst.” ~ C. S. Lewis, The Abolition of Man Sometimes you do your best and things don’t go right. That’s parenthood in a nutshell, I suppose, even when it’s done properly. […]
At some point, sooner or later, all new parents experience that moment when they realize that this new little life is their unique responsibility. It can be a bit surreal. Holding your little one, it strikes you that a tremendous gift has been given to you, a gift that brings with it significant and life-altering […]
One day, my 17 year-old strolled into the kitchen after a long day at school, leaned against the kitchen counter and, between mouthfuls of food to appease his growling stomach, said, “Hey mom, did you know that the Pope has Twitter?” “So, I hear,” I replied absentmindedly while chopping vegetables for dinner. “Do you have […]
This past month I’ve been thinking about the difficulties of raising young families. Conversations with friends and family and my own lived experiences have left me wondering how we are supposed to do all that is asked of us in raising a young family. No sleep, diapers, laundry, meals….it’s just crazy hard sometimes! After reading […]
Imagine a Kenyan AIDS orphan living in a mud hut with his two brothers and walking several miles to school on an empty stomach. After the devastating loss of both of his parents, facing daily grinding poverty, would he have any energy left to dream of a better future? This boy is not imaginary; his name […]
The calendar reads December 27th. Secular society has us fully ensconced in “after-Christmas” sales and is already prepared to move us along to Valentine’s Day. And yet we Catholics know that in terms of the liturgical season of Christmas, we’re just getting started. Some of you may fall prey to the “after Christmas blues” that […]
In the quiet of night, a young mother holds her baby to her, admiring his fingers and toes, exploring the features of his face. Her son is new to this world, a gift from God. She is like every other new mother, filled with wonder and exhaustion and, perhaps, fear. She is very young. Is […]
Magnets and Christmas “Why are you writing about my magnets?” my son asked with squinty-eyes and raised lip, as if the words tasted foul, the picture of teenage contempt. “ ‘Cause there’s a spiritual parallel,” I replied casually, glancing up. “Like what,” he spluttered incredulously, half-laughing, half-choking on his mother’s latest foolishness. I […]
During Advent my thoughts always turn to ultimate things — waiting, longing, begging, pining for answers to ultimate questions, to redemption — and I always think about pregnancy. Like many women, I do not even know how many children I have that did not live to birth because I used contraception for many years before […]
Christ is quoted, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Therein is one of life’s toughest lessons. How do we teach our children the habit of giving? We know that social modeling is a powerful teacher. If we lecture our children on giving, yet portray a life of miserliness, there is little chance […]
I was putting our younger daughter to sleep, and as we snuggled in the chair, I started singing: “Chestnuts roasting on an open fire . . .” She picked up the tune and sang the next line: “. . . Jack Frost sniffing at your nose . . .” Christmas is full of surprises. Especially […]
Dutifully, Catholics go on the hunt each year for the highly coveted, purple and pink candle ensemble vital to any serious Advent Wreath. I’m eighty-seven percent sure that I buy a replacement set after Christmas in anticipation of the following liturgical season, proudly lauding myself for thinking ahead, taking advantage of the sale price, and […]
What is the difference between a child born in the Twenty-first century and one born in 300 BC? Nothing, since human nature is unchanging, but everything, if modern child-rearing techniques are applied. Human nature never changes, be it during ancient times or in the modern world. Thus, Aristotle’s philosophy was as brilliant in 350 BC […]
If you have access to the Internet, you likely have read a viral blog post by single mother of four Liza Long titled “I Am Adam Lanza’s Mother.” The piece has had millions of hits on the various sites on which it has been published. If you haven’t seen it, check your email. Someone has […]
I wasn’t going to write about Friday’s sad events, instead simply choosing to pray. My heart has been heavy, and I knew others would write about it with more eloquence. My words and thoughts weren’t necessarily needed. But then, I was drawn into the conversation and realized that there was indeed something I needed to […]
A few weeks ago, on All Soul’s Day, Father Kean – a exuberant young priest at our parish – preached from the daily reading from Revelation 7: After this I had a vision of a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation, race, people, and tongue. They stood before the throne and […]
Do you ever ask yourself whether it is alright to stay plugged-in to the internet? I have struggled with this question since I was first drawn, overwhelmingly so, to this new form of communication six years ago. I already loved email, then I discovered Facebook and discussion forums. I could engage with people from all […]
“Doing the duty of the moment means focusing our whole person – heart, soul, body, emotions, intellect, memory, imagination – on the job at hand! The duty of the moment done for God is glamorous, exciting, wondrous…..” Catherine Doherty, Grace In Every Season, Madonna House Publications, Combermere, Ontario Many years ago, when I was a […]
Frankly, I was completely in shock. Not that we didn’t expect it – we’ve been expecting it for some time. And, it wasn’t that we weren’t happy about it, either, because we were and still are. No, I was in shock because this would make me the…you know…the… mother-in-law. I’ve heard about those creatures, the […]
