When I sit down on Sunday morning to work through the family calendar for the week, the busyness overwhelms me, as it seems like a big jigsaw puzzle that must be assembled. The pieces are comprised of many activities, and there are decisions to be made about who is available to take them. Sub-pieces get
We are fully launched into our school year! What a crazy time the months of August and September are. I have been inundated with meeting after meeting for both the school and the extracurricular program I help run, not to mention all the back-to-school meetings for our teenage daughters. And let’s not forget the return
I haul myself out of bed in the early morning hours. It’s barely sunrise, but I pull on my hiking shorts and a tank top, slip my feet into some well-worn Crocs, throw my hair into a ponytail, and, shoving my glasses on, stumble downstairs where our dog is huffing and puffing in excitement. It’s
When I was newly pregnant and experiencing all the pregnancy symptoms for the first time, exhaustion was common. One afternoon, as I lay in bed scrolling on social media, promising myself I would delete or lessen my use of it during my pregnancy, I came across this prayer titled “Litany for Pregnancy.” I read through
In the weariness of carrying a very heavy prayer intention for a child over so many years, after shedding buckets of tears in sadness and disappointment at seeing no fruit, I was consoled in prayer one morning as I read the story of the paralytic, shared in Matthew’s, Mark’s and Luke’s Gospels, a story I
Over the last thirteen years, I’ve had countless opportunities to send my children out of our home for one activity or event or another. I have now raised half of my children into adulthood—the other half are very close to arriving there. It has only been in the last few years that I have begun
Since my children were too young when Dallas Jenkins’ The Chosen first aired several years ago, my family has just recently started watching this television series based on the life of Christ and his followers. After watching an episode together one evening, I made the comment to my daughter, “So, I know it’s better that
Perhaps the best part of newborn life is when your child begins to emerge from the potato-baby phase and starts to interact. Yes, the new baby smell and milk-drunk floppiness after a feeding are also particularly delightful, but they are nothing compared to the first time your child smiles at you. These are moments that
I have been a Martha all my life, except once, when I tried to be a Mary and was directed back to work in the kitchen. My personality—attention to detail, preference for staying in the background, doing my duty no matter what, dedicated to order, uneasiness in company—makes me a good Martha, but I also
The ability to let go is essential to life. From the time we are very young and have to let go of the idea that our needs be met instantly and the world revolves around us, to, in the teenage years, the desire to be an adult so we could do as we please, only
When my children were very young, it was the sweetest time of play and formation. I homeschooled them during that season and found solace and friendship amongst other mothers in our Catholic homeschooling community. Our activities outside the home centered around social time with these other families. Kids would run off to play, and the
I cracked 12 eggs, diced ½ cup of ham, chiffonaded a handful of spinach, threw in some shredded cheese, and spooned the mixture carefully into dozens of mini crusts to make Green Eggs and Ham-themed quiches. I popped them into the oven and waited, much like the waiting for the baby on the other end
Pulled in a million directions. Unable to concentrate on one thing. Time for silence is far and few between, even when no one is around. Forgetting the names of people you know well. Some call these experiences “mom brain.” This “phenomenon” is often a part of motherhood and can take a toll. It is
I noticed the toddler strut through the pool gate, ahead of his mother. They found a spot for their belongings and entered the pool. He was quite excited to be in the water—as long as mom was holding him and he could hold his mom. He laughed as he splashed his one free hand, gave
My daughter came into my bedroom flustered, nervous, and excited. Tonight was her Junior/Senior Prom. This was her first formal dance with a date. She wanted me to help her finish getting ready. Was her makeup right? Could I help touch it up? To see her beautiful face, experience her excitement, and help her get
There are moments when all of us feel abandoned by God. Jesus, in his human nature, certainly felt this on the cross when he cried out, ‘Father, why have you abandoned me?’ (Mt 27:46). Recently, I had my moment of crying out when we received our third autism diagnosis for our children. I managed to smile
I watch his reddening face as his jaws clench, and his broad shoulders tense up in that too-familiar indignant stance. This child of mine, who is “almost a man,” is upset once again because his father and I said “no.” I bite my tongue, but I want to yell and somehow get it through his
After a particularly challenging day at home with my children, my loving husband insisted he keep the kids the next morning while I go to daily Mass by myself. This was the first time I had had a quiet, uninterrupted prayer time in months. I went straight to the front row. Lord, I am here,
My dad was a high school English teacher for most of my life. Pivoting to diocesan work during my adult years, he used his hard-earned wisdom from guiding teens to help priests navigate the sometimes rocky waters of parish councils and school boards. During my own storm-tossed years of high school, balancing sports and fickle
My sister said they’re moving again. When I asked where they were headed, she told me she wanted to move closer to her oldest daughter and the three young grandchildren. She said, “We want to be where the life is.” I haven’t been able to stop thinking about that phrase “where the life is.” As
Rarely do I reflect on the virtues and gifts of getting older. More often, as I find myself (beyond) midway on the journey of my life, I wake, not to a dark wood, but to a forest of friends on a group text, all mildly lamenting our perimenopausal symptoms, comparing brands of supplements, and extolling