Recently, I stopped at a CVS to grab a drink before driving out to Paris, Texas, to see my mom. I was scanning the Coke aisle when I spotted a Smart Water display. It was one of those mundane moments that somehow sparked an old memory. Years ago, back when I worked in education, it … Read more
The winter break was coming to its close, and my youngest had a request. “Mommy, can we pray that I will be brave for school tomorrow?” Returning to the hustle and bustle of the classroom is not easy for a young introvert, but she knows that I will always pray with her. Spontaneous prayer is … Read more
This week my social media memories have been full of events from seven years ago when Hurricane Florence made landfall close to our home in New Bern, North Carolina. Slow-moving, Florence caused storm surges and flooding described as happening once in 500 years. Ahead of the storm, my kids and I evacuated to Charlotte, where … Read more
I have never met a first day of school that did not make me cry. I have been both a lover of routine and allergic to the unknown since childhood. As I got older, the tears lessened but each year, without fail, they came. Sometimes they came from exhaustion once I got home. Sometimes they … Read more
Some traditions about Mary, the Mother of God, elevate her purity and virtues to an almost divine level. I first encountered this perspective during a visit to a local art museum, where a Renaissance painting showed Mary as a young girl studying beside her parents. According to the artist’s notes, she possessed God-given purity, lived without sin, … Read more
The lake splashed softly against the rocky shore outside the green cabin walls as I took in the news that another camp far away was experiencing great fear and devastation. Hands against my stomach, I double-checked the locations of my children. Our week of family camp was coming to an end. Everything had been fine … Read more
Our middle son plays quite a bit of baseball with a deep love for the sport. During the last tournament of this spring’s season, frustration was mounting as many errors were made by his teammates and he, leading to a few losses in a row. After one of the games, Caleb was pretty disappointed, and while I … Read more
I distinctly remember having a conversation with my husband when our children were very young and I was a stay-at-home mother. I said, “I don’t get a yearly review and I definitely don’t get a raise, so it won’t be until they have grown and flown that I will know whether I have done a … Read more
Years ago, on a beautiful sunny Saturday during my mom’s last battle with breast cancer, I turned aside from my stroll around Philadelphia’s Italian Market and walked into St. Paul’s Church. This huge pile of old-school Italian Catholic churchcraft broods over 9th Street like a mother hen and my visit proved a fascinating cultural experience. Of … Read more
Everything conspires to take away from a man who is set in authority over others the sense of justice and reason. Much trouble, we are told, is taken to teach young princes the art of reigning; but their education seems to do them no good. It would be better to begin by teaching them the … Read more
