From the superficial to the depth, there are more layers of thanks than meet the eye. Acknowledgement I teach my children to say, “thank you.” The understanding is, you give me something, I respond in thanks. At its most basic level, we express our thanks acknowledging the words or actions
“All of California is burning,” she said. As I write this, we are on the second “red flag warning,” the second roll of PG&E blackouts that in this area in October affect us but little. There is an impeachment inquiry. New revelations every day. Far away, confusing, conflicting and alarming
When good possibilities seem endless, how do we discern what choices to make? How can we approach these periods of joy and hustle? I sat on the patio looking out over my year. Instead of the dead grass and growing weeds, my eyes focused on the three folding tables covered
I grew so much much during our time of crisis. Now back at home, I find myself struggling. Two virtues are needed for this slow growth in the little way: patience and labor.
John Donne wrote, “No man is an island entire of itself; every man / is a piece of the continent, a part of the main.” This means we are all part of a community of persons, nested in society. We do not stand alone, like a remote island
On a rainy May afternoon I ducked out of the drizzle through the double glass doors of the Mistlin Art Gallery in the city’s historic downtown to join an intimate gathering of local opera lovers. Patrons gathered around mezzo-soprano Nikola Printz, artist, performer, and remarkable stage presence for a solo
There is a hot debate in my aunt’s town far away from my own where one woman has argued they ought to clear the way in the library for more digital services because “there are too many books…people no longer read…this is the technological age.” It was a
Journey in Love: A Catholic Mother’s Prayers after Prenatal Diagnosis is now available online at Our Sunday Visitor. With my first book published and another on the way, there is cause to celebrate. Yet I cannot help asking myself, where do I go from here? That same question
Some days, the days at home with the kids grow long. I turn to Facebook for mental stimulation and personal connection. A woman posted a series of photos in support of babywearing: the art of holding a child hands-free by a type of sling or carrier. Around the world
A young man with pale skin and scraggly hair walked the lines of the gas station. Approaching me, but standing halfway behind the pump, he quietly offered to wash my windows. Alone, I looked in his eyes and said, equally quietly, “no, thank you.” Maybe with my husband, I would
