“Wait right here while we recheck your bags,” advised airport security to my daughter. We stood there in stocking feet, staring blankly. Suddenly, she giggled and leaned in close whispering, “I know what it is.” I pointed out that voluntarily disclosing that information is usually the best policy in these situations. “I know what it […]
I am a creature of habit. I tend to exercise the same way, eat the same things, and engage in the same activities. When I go for a walk, I usually take the same route. My work, though varied, normally involves the same type of tasks. I get up and go to bed at the […]
When my daughter was about four, I was telling her that while we were in church everyone needs to be extra quiet. When we are, Jesus can talk to us in our hearts. And if we are quiet, we can hear Him. She said, “Okay, Mommy,” and about a minute later she said, “Oh Mommy, I hear him.” […]
Everyone knows of a handful of days that change who you think you are. Death removes someone you love from your life and changes the family dynamic. Marriages add new members, rearranging the family dynamic. And, there are tragedies that can drop you to your knees in an instant, showing you that it can happen […]
I don’t know if I am getting old, but have you noticed that people don’t seem to know how to behave at Mass anymore? I will never forget the day I was at Sunday Mass, when a well-meaning dad pulled out a very large plastic bag from the Dollar Store. In it, he had a big new toy for his […]
She arrived pink and plump, sporting a full head of cotton-soft brown hair and that intoxicatingly sweet scent that only newborns have. All gurgles, whimpers and tiny yawns, her delicate fingers gripped mine as I thought of all the things I wanted to give this brand-new baby girl: love and security, freedom, opportunity and the […]
But the Lord answered: “Martha, Martha,” he said “you worry and fret about so many things, and yet few are needed, indeed only one. It is Mary who has chosen the better part; it is not to be taken from her” (Luke 10:41–42, JB). In this passage from scripture we find Martha’s sister, Mary, sitting […]
We mothers are a “Jane of all trades.” My skills have been evolving for decades now. I didn’t start off knowing how to cut and style hair for instance, but I have become quite good, in my own estimate, and am now allowed the great honor of cutting two of my adult sons hair. This […]
Who’s calling the shots over at the Girl Scouts? And where’s the organization headed? The questions matter for two reasons. First, it’s cookie season. Any day now some cute little girls wearing green sashes and bright smiles will knock on your door and sweetly seek support for their projects, badges, and activities. Do you write […]
Dear Brothers and Sisters, It is always a joy to celebrate this Holy Mass with the baptism of children on the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. I greet you all with affection, dear parents, godparents and all of you, relatives and friends! You have come here — you said so aloud — so […]
The most prevalent mantras I’ve encountered in the “parenting magazine” world have to do with “gifts.” “Gifted children.” “We need to discover our gifts.” “Moms need to have their own time to use their own gifts.” “Time! Talent! Treasure!” (That’s from my “Catholic pew” world.) “Everyone is special.” “Allow the child to explore her talents.” […]
I’m a bad Catholic. Do you know how I know? I took my Christmas trees down before Epiphany. That’s right. By January 2 I couldn’t stand the clutter anymore and we took them down. I did leave the Nativity scene up, but the trees are gone. I’ve never done the Liturgy of the Hours. Never. […]
There’s a radical idea surfacing in the world of psychology, and it may turn out to be a game changer when it comes to parenting in America. Thinking. That’s right, thinking. But not just thinking – smart thinking. Imagine what might happen if we stop parenting by thoughtlessly developing habits over time and instead institute […]
It’s that time again — time to predict trends for the new year. Prognosticators from every sector are saturating cyberspace with predictions in virtually every arena, including politics and economics, climate, technology, education, recreation and fashion. But my favorite trends to watch are in an arena that probably shouldn’t be trendy at all: parenting. For […]
As a young adult I was pretty sure about the calling God had in my life. I met the girl that I would end up marrying and knew we would raise a family. I thought about religious life but had a longing for a family. I look at my life now with a beautiful bride, […]
At this time of year, we long to welcome the Christ child into our trembling hearts, these empty mangers aching to be filled; for it is in a child that we first see the face of God in humanity, and through His shocking act of humility that we begin to see ourselves in Him. Blessed […]
You know the saying: ”I was a great parent before my kids were born.” No doubt I fell into that category, and was a loving, patient and confident mother 24-7. Then our two little doses of reality arrived: How do I comfort an inconsolable infant in the middle of the night? Manage a fussy toddler throwing a […]
When I climbed into bed, the sheets felt like thin strips of refrigeration. I pulled the comforter up to my ears and shivered as I waited for my body to generate enough heat to turn my toes from blue to toasty. Now, at 3:35 in the morning, a wave of warmth rolls over me like […]
Five years ago from my bed at Swedish Hospital, I wrote the journal entry below. It sounds a bit like goodbye-instructions, my last will and testament, a ‘please-raise-the-kids-right-when-I’m-gone’ plea. However there was no imminent danger of my death. On the contrary, we were awaiting the gift of new life. Though she wasn’t due for about […]
After doing my treadmill workout, I sat on the couch with my oldest son so we could go over some World Literature questions. We read through the poems, discussed them and, as happens many times in my homeschooling experience, we ended up on an entirely different topic. The poems were of a religious nature, but […]
Human beings have a desire to impose order on the universe. But much like a parent’s desire to impose order on their kids’ toys, it often goes unsatisfied. With the toys, at least we have a fighting chance (depending on the age of the kids and the volume of plastic flowing in from grandparents – […]
Children have a way of reaching into your heart to find love you didn’t even know was there. I was working away in the kitchen, trying to cook dinner and get the dishes done at the same time, when my daughters came in looking for Daddy. “What are you doing, Daddy?” Liz, our older daughter […]
As the mother of two lively boys, athletic boys, theater-loving boys, exploring boys, immersed-in-everything boys, I am forever seeking. Forever balancing. Forever juggling. Forever discerning. Activity versus stillness. Sound versus silence. Society versus solitude. I still, now for fleeting moments, still, have a measure of control over the feeling, the tenor, the rhythm of my […]
I hadn’t felt normal for several days, so I decided to skulk into Wal Mart, snatch the first pregnancy test within reach off the shelf, and slide it under my purse, which was strategically awaiting its purpose, as a shield, within my cart. I casually threw a tube of toothpaste into my cart while strolling […]
