Phrases scroll across my mind during these weeks following the peaceful but unexpected death of my 26 year old son Paul. “I want my baby back!” I cried to God the first week or two, although he was no baby. Another one that plays across my mind is: “Why did you […]
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.” […]
Before you say it, I agree: there’s no such thing as a mom that doesn’t work. I’m all for moms that work, stay home, and those somewhere in between. —JDF A few weeks ago, an article “Motherhood and the Call to Holiness” seemed to pop up on every website, blog and feed I visited. Here, […]
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 […]
I was riding the ski lift with one of my pupils, a little girl of roughly seven years. She could not keep her eyes off me. I thought it was really sweet, having a crush on her teacher, as it were. When we reached the top and the ski lift stopped, she finally spoke to […]
Today, in “Annie’s Mailbox” newspaper column, a woman who admitted having no desire for children wrote: “Babies are messy, leaky, smelly and noisy, as well as demanding and expensive.” The woman is accurate. It is not logical to have a child. A baby will drain your bank account and rob you of sleep. It will […]
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 […]
Twenty-six years ago, on January 28, 1986, the Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart 73 seconds into its flight,disintegrating over the Atlantic Ocean off the course of central Florida. All seven of its crew were killed, including the “Teacher in Space,” Christa McAuliffe. On this sad anniversary, it’s not space flight I want to talk about, […]
I don’t think anyone would argue with the notion that in order to learn any new skill, you need to have the ability to be obedient. For example, if you want to learn how to do the fox trot, or tango, chances are you would register for classes and obey the instructor. You would do what […]
My dear daughter, I know that you feel like no one can possibly understand the way you feel right now. You think no one has ever felt this way. You feel alone. You look around and see couples and feel like the “odd man out.” What you fail to see are all the other young […]
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 […]
At adoration last week, I prayed a rosary for a dear friend who recently lost a baby eight weeks into her pregnancy. My heart breaks for her. As I prayed in the quiet chapel, my heart became even heavier thinking about the loss of our own pregnancy at 13 weeks, around this time in 2006. […]
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 […]
An interview with Catholic author, Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle, on Blessed Teresa of Calcutta. Welcome , Donna-Marie! As you know, I’m a devoted fan of your books, so it’s an honor to have you join us to chat about your absolutely superb new booklet through Ave Maria Press, Bringing Lent Home With Mother Teresa: Prayers, Reflections, […]
The subject line of the email from my daughter read, “I shudder.” The text said only, “You won’t believe this,” and included a link to a video that my 14-year-old freshman, Amy, wanted me to see. The video that prompted her concern was an episode of “Teens React,” a YouTube series from Fine Brothers Productions, […]
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 […]
One of the most amazing things about fatherhood is my children’s capacity to analyze every little thing I do. Give them an inch and they will take it a mile with anything I either said or did. No one ever wants to be challenged or corrected for their wrongs. This is a basic fact of […]
It’s that time of year. Billboard selects the Best of the Year in Music (I like Adele too). Newsweek determines Epic Wins (Tebow) and Fails (Tiger). And the Most Fascinating People of the year are named by ABC News (Steve Jobs, OK; but I’m afraid Barbara missed the mark with the Kardashians). Here’s my contribution […]
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 […]
Do you ever feel like going out on the front porch and yelling, “Christmas didn’t end on December 26!” While the focus turns to New Year’s Eve, festivities continue for a few more days. In the meantime, the discount bins start filling with Christmas leftovers and the radio stations go back to their typical fare. […]
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, […]
