I stared at the chubby cheeks on the screen in front of me. So much of the image struck me with the differences. The chubs. The double chin. The hat with characters from a cartoon he hasn’t watched in years. The teeny tiny baby teeth with spaces between them. That smile now is filled with […]
Kids
How to take kids to church every day
I’ve been taking my kids (5 & 6 when we started) with me to daily Mass nearly every day for the past year. People will stare at me slack jawed when they find out our daily ritual. Some probably think I’m crazy. Some may even be envious or incredulous at the ability. “I wish I […]
God never gives us more than we can handle, but kindergarten teachers do
She came bouncing out of the school doors. As soon as I saw it, I knew why there was even more pep in her normally bouncy gait. As soon as I saw it, I groaned an almost audible “fuuuuuhhck… nooooo…” Bob. Bob the Owl. The classroom “pet.” Every kid in kindergarten gets to take Bob […]
Bringing Elephants to Church
Herds of elephants are quieter. Between the stomping of boots to get the snow off, the nylon rustle of the winter coats, the not-so-whispered discussions, by the time we got our gear off and settled down in the pew, several sets of eyes had darted in our direction. I’m sure my fellow parishioners were just […]
Taming the Tornado
He’s so angry. He’s throwing everything he can reach. He’s screaming. He kicks a bucket as he walks by. It’s like there’s a tornado inside him wanting to destroy everything he can see. He’s 7-years old. In his torment I see myself. I can feel the rage he’s experiencing. Because I’ve felt it so many […]
A Bad Influence
Every morning she keeps watch for him. As we edge closer to school and pass by his street, she cranes her neck looking for him. If we spot him walking to school surrounded by his gaggle of sisters, I dutifully pull over and she tumbles out of the car to get to walk with him […]