Tales From the Trenches

On this particularly trying day, I stare down at the sink piled high with a second round of dirty dishes. It’s barely noon. I look out the kitchen window feeling the bleak realities of our household’s financial state after making the decision to stay home full-time with the children. I fight just to try and …READ MORE

As we drove along in the car recently, my youngest son pondered out loud about his pending “show-and-tell.” A lot of kids just did the ‘show’ part, he said. “They say, ‘This is my toy,’ and show it to the class. I want to bring in something to tell about.” As such, on the appointed …READ MORE

There is nothing with which to compare the ache in a mother’s heart when she sees her child being bullied or excluded. For me, it was when my daughter was almost three and still in diapers. She was wanting to play with some kids at the park, and they kept saying, “No. You’re a diaper …READ MORE

Wednesday of Holy Week, I found myself in line for confession. Because, truly, nothing says “devout Catholic” like suddenly realizing that you haven’t made it to confession even ONCE during Lent, so you rush out like a mad woman during Holy Week to fulfill that obligation. I would like to say that it was about …READ MORE

I was patting my baby bump and not partaking of the vineyard scents by way of a glass. Surrounded by Catholic faithful dears, I was happy to soak up the wine-tasting experience accompanied by lilting music. As the sommelier made his debut, my mind drifted, the description of one variety sounding similar to the next …READ MORE

One Bible verse never fails to spring tears to my eyes. It is as full of longing as it is of jubilation. I first saw it framed on the wall of the immaculate home of the dressmaker who was used by my oldest daughter to fit her wedding gown. When I saw it again, six …READ MORE