I didn’t know the man. I had never met him. Even that morning I didn’t know his name. Yet there I was, sobbing uncontrollably at the news of his death. I had just taken my kids in to their school and when I came back to my car there was a text message from a […]
Life & Cheesecake
It was one of those days. You know those days. A quick errand that turned into a scavenger hunt. Grocery shopping on your lunch hour. A full day at work where you had trouble breaking away even for a bathroom break, but at the end of the day you got in your car, looked back […]
Sprinting to the Cross
There came a point in my second pregnancy where I was gripped by such a white hot fear I wanted to jump out of body. I was lying in bed somewhere around month 8 trying to settle myself and this little melon of perpetual motion that had taken over my body so at least one […]
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 […]
You have the perfect body
I’ve been actively trying to lose weight for over a year and one of the tools I use to keep me motivated is being part of weight loss communities on social media. It’s not uncommon for someone there to share the weight tracking graph to show their progress or post their “stats” of starting weight, […]
Longing for Perfection
I remember that Mass on March 15, 2020. The world was starting to close in. An illness that had been somewhere else and someone else’s problem was closing in on us. Areas were closing down. Awareness had become nervousness. Nervousness was becoming panic. It was all beginning to feel so real. The blood of Christ […]
The Perfect Love
He eases himself off the chair and she waits, poised to steady him if he needs. She helps him into his coat and waits patiently as he insists on zipping it up himself. She stays behind him as they go out the door into the strong, cold wind and slows her strides so as not […]
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 […]
Ashes & Mascara
Lent is approaching rapidly. Ash Wednesday is this week. I’ve avoided the questions of “what are you going to do for Lent,” but soon those questions will be in present tense rather than future tense and I won’t be able to dodge any longer. I actually love Lent and look forward to a mostly depressing […]